Few motorists know what the meaning is of a button with the pictogram of a car with an arrow in it. Even less known is that with this recirculation mode you save up to 10 percent fuel on hot days during short trips.
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The button, which is standard in most modern cars, is mainly intended to protect occupants against toxic gases, for example when you drive through a tunnel. But this so-called recirculation button also ensures that the air in the car itself cools down much faster. The air conditioning does not always have to cool new warm and humid air.
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Air conditioning does not have to work as hard
By recirculating the air in the system, the air conditioner gets a lot easier. Because air conditioning uses some of the engine’s power to function—and in electric cars, battery power—there is less demand from the engine when it cools down more quickly. That means lower fuel consumption.
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According to the British newspaper ‘The Sun’, fuel consumption increases by up to 10 percent if the recirculation mode is not used. The effects are especially noticeable during short journeys, because the air conditioning has to work extra hard to cool the hot car.
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As soon as cold air comes out of vents, close all windows and press the recirculation button. As a result, you use much less energy than if you constantly let warm outside air flow through the system.
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The RAC, the British equivalent of Touring, recommends opening the windows for a minute or two before driving off for the best possible fuel economy to let all the warm air escape. You should do this until the air from the vents feels cooler than the outside temperature.
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Leave it on during short journeys
“As soon as cold air comes out of vents, close all windows and press the recirculation button,” said a spokesman for the RAC. “As a result, you use much less energy than if you constantly let warm outside air flow through the system.”
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According to the RAC, the effects are especially noticeable during short journeys, because you can then continue to use the recirculation mode without any problems. For safety reasons, it is recommended to switch it off again at longer distances. Because there is no fresh air supply, the amount of carbon dioxide in the car increases. This can lead to fatigue, poor concentration or a reduced reaction speed.
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