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TIL that skipping the car engine block heater in winter actually wastes more gas than running it for 30 minutes
Overheard this at a coffee shop in Duluth last week. Guy said he never plugs his engine in because he thinks it's just extra energy use. Turns out cold starts burn way more fuel and create more emissions than letting a block heater warm things up for half an hour. I looked it up after and in temps below 15F you can save like 10-15% on fuel just by plugging in. Does anyone actually track their cold start fuel data or am I overthinking this?
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wendyprice1mo ago
I read somewhere that at 0°F a cold engine uses 30% more gas for the first few miles.
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My old Subaru was a nightmare in Fairbanks winters and I finally broke down and started plugging it in. I swear I saw about a 10% bump in my gas mileage on those negative 20 mornings. Your mileage may vary but it was enough for me to keep that extension cord in my trunk year round.
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