(NEXSTAR) — While parts of the country have had a mild fall so far, cold winter mornings likely aren’t far off for many of us. (Thanks, La Niña.)
Images of such brisk days may conjure various images in your mind, including one of yourself shivering in your car as you wait for it to warm up. But, depending on the car you drive, that agonizing, frigid wait may be for naught.
For decades, cars did need to run for a bit for the carburetors to work properly. If cars didn’t idle before being driven, they could stall, The Washington Post previously explained.
Once automakers started using electric injections instead of carburetors in the 1980s and 90s, the need to idle a car diminished. Unlike past carburetors, the new technology relied on sensors that do not need to warm up to supply fuel to the engine, according to industry experts.
Drivers were also once advised to let their cars warm up to allow the oil to warm up. When cold, oil becomes thicker, which makes it more difficult for the engine to be lubricated. This could in turn cause wear and tear on the engine, according to Todd Wenzel Chevrolet, a dealership in Hudsonville, Michigan.
But again, with modern cars and oils, warming up the car for more than a few minutes may not be necessary. Engine oils and modern engines have been designed to work better in the cold.
Even the U.S. Department of Energy notes that guidance from most car manufacturers says your vehicle is ready to drive after just 30 seconds of warming up.
“The engine will warm up faster being driven, which will allow the heat to turn on sooner, decrease your fuel costs, and reduce emissions,” the federal agency wrote.
Letting your car idle for more than a couple of minutes can not only waste fuel, it can cause pollution — as much pollution as a running car, according to the Environmental Defense Fund. Idling may even be illegal in your state.
Electrical vehicles don’t need to warm up, either. AAA’s Oregon/Idaho Division previously shared a 2019 study with Nexstar’s KOIN in which the company tested multiple EVs to determine their average driving range during severe weather.
AAA found that, when temperatures drop below 20 degrees, the EVs’ driving ranges could be reduced by 41%. AAA said the HVAC system used to heat a vehicle’s interior is largely to blame, and that drivers could find themselves spending an additional $25 on charging for every 1,000 miles they drive.
When vehicles in AAA’s study did not use the HVAC system at all, the driving range in cold conditions dropped by only 12%. But, if you want to use the heat, AAA recommends warming up your EV while it is charging and building in pit stops during your trip for recharging.
Once you’re in your car and ready to go, AAA recommends driving your car “normally and avoiding hard acceleration.” This will bring “the engine to a warmer temperature faster” than letting it idle. While you can drive right away, it’s worth remembering that your car won’t be ready to reach interstate speeds immediately.
It can take your engine between five and 15 minutes to completely warm up, according to Business Insider. Plus, hitting the gas pedal hard right away can cause you to waste gas, MIT mechanical engineer John Heywood told the outlet in 2016, and pose a safety risk if roads are snowy or icy.
However, if it’s an extremely cold day, it may not be a bad idea to let your car run for more than 30 seconds before driving off, Todd Wenzel Chevrolet explains. But in most cases, as long as your vehicle isn’t older than the early 1990s, you probably don’t need to let your car thaw before you hit the roads.
KOIN’s Jashayla Pettigrew contributed to this report.
