Will driving the same car with the minimal electronics running have better fuel economy than the same car with considerably more lights added, high powered sound system, etc. ?
Originally posted 2009-03-25 02:13:42.
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Does an increase in electrical load on a car decrease fuel economy?
Will driving the same car with the minimal electronics running have better fuel economy than the same car with considerably more lights added, high powered sound system, etc. ?
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
yes, the extra load on the alternator translates to added load on the engine…
it ’s more a matter of installing a higher capacity alternator
yes, the energy for running the electronics must come from somewhere, as per the law of conservation of energy. The energy from the fuel is turned into rotational energy in the alternator which is used to charge the battery. The electronics in the car use the energy from the battery to give you light energy, sound energy etc
An increased load on the alternator WILL draw more power from the engine to drive the alternator. Any increased load on the engine will reduce your fuel mileage, so the answer to your question is YES… An increase in electrical load WILL decrease your fuel economy.