Stop Idling: How Turning Off Engine Saves Fuel

admin — Sat, 28 Mar 2026 23:30:25 +0000

It was 22 degrees where I live last night, making it very tempting to give my car a few extra minutes to warm up this morning before driving my kids to school. It’s also easy to find someone sitting in their car with the engine running in almost any major parking lot, but that’s not the activity of a driver who wants to save fuel costs. Idling, which is when you let your engine run when you’re not driving the vehicle, uses more fuel than you probably think, and it generates a load of nasty emissions in the process.

How Much Fuel Does Idling Actually Use?

The U.S. Department of Energy states that idling can use one-quarter to one-half gallon of fuel per hour, depending on the vehicle and the use of accessories (such as air conditioning). With climate controls turned off, idling could cost you up to $0.03 per minute. That might not seem like a lot at first, but consider how many times you’ve started your car 20-30 minutes before leaving the house in the morning or how long you’ve waited in the school pickup line with the engine running. The costs add up more quickly than you think.

Idling Is a Big Problem in the U.S.

While we’re mainly here to talk about fuel consumption, the cumulative effects of idling personal vehicles are staggering. The more than 250 million cars, trucks, minivans, and SUVs on American roads burn 3 billion gallons of fuel and generate 30 million tons of CO2 each year, just by idling. We admit that there are situations when it’s necessary to leave your car running, but reducing idle time would have the same fuel-saving and emission-reduction effects as taking millions of vehicles off the road.

You Could Get a Ticket

Depending on where you live, idling may be illegal. Several states and cities have banned idling, including New Jersey, New Hampshire, Hawaii, Maryland, and others. New York City and parts of California also have regulations that prohibit idling in many situations.

Learn more about fuel economy and gas prices.

Tips to Reduce Idling

We aren’t telling you never to let your car idle, but there are several things you can do to reduce the time your car sits with the engine running.

Reduce Idling Infographic

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When to Turn Off Your Engine

Drive-Through Lines

Long waits at restaurants, banks, or pharmacies—turn off your engine or park and go inside.

Waiting for Passengers

Picking up kids or waiting for others? Turn off the engine in mild weather.

Warming the Interior

Driving warms the cabin faster than idling. Drive gently after 30 seconds of startup.

Modern Engine Health

Today’s starters and batteries handle frequent restarts. Turning off won’t damage your engine.

Necessary Idling Situations

Traffic: Keep the engine running for safety. You can’t turn it off while in a traffic flow.

Defrosting: Winter window frosting may require a brief idle to clear visibility safely.

Emissions Testing: Some inspection stations require idling to maintain engine operating temperature during testing.

Technology Solutions

Hybrid-Electric Vehicles

Engine shuts off automatically when stopped and can move on electric power alone.

Stop-Start Technology

“Mild hybrid” or stop-start systems increasingly available automatically stop the engine at red lights and restart on demand.

Protecting Children’s Air Quality

Vehicle emissions are more concentrated near the ground where children breathe. Reducing idling at schools and pickup zones protects developing lungs and helps prevent asthma and respiratory illness.

Be the Example

Turn off your engine at drive-throughs and while waiting. Show others the simple habit.

Talk to Schools

Encourage anti-idling policies and signs at school bus areas and parent pickup zones.

Inform Businesses

Suggest drive-through managers post reminders about idling’s environmental impact.

Know Local Laws

Check if your area restricts idling. Some regions fine drivers for unnecessary engine running.

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Tesla Semi saves massive amounts on running costs, revealed in Jay Leno’s new video

admin — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 00:26:08 +0000

Tesla has been a pivotal part of changing the perception of EVs by getting millions of zero-emission vehicles on the roads.

The Tesla Semi is one of these less-discussed vehicle programs from the brand, but it promises to do much the same in the world of transport logistics and long-distance trucking.

Now, footage of the new Tesla Semi being tested has been made public. The latest video was showcased by Jay Leno on his unique vehicle-focused YouTube channel, highlighting key upgraded features of the Semi that had previously been under wraps.

In the video, which is over 47 minutes long, Leno is shown the progress of the Semi program and how well Tesla’s electric trucks are performing.

Dan Priestley, Tesla’s Semi program lead, shared that the truck now uses a 48 V architecture and delivers a fully electric steering system. Previous versions of the Semi used a hydraulic system.

According to the company, the Semi is also much cheaper to run than equivalent Diesel trucks. Data shared shows that it is 50% cheaper to run in California than diesel semi trucks.

Leno also got behind the wheel of the truck and compared the key differences between normal diesel trucks and electric trucks. The Tesla Semi’s ride was smooth, efficient, and quite comfortable.

Tesla Semi first began deliveries as part of a trial with a large food and beverage company, PepsiCo, back in late 2022.

After taking delivery of the Tesla Semi, PepsiCo announced in 2024 that it had ordered additional units, doubling its fleet to 50 electric trucks operating out of its manufacturing and distribution facility in California.

In recent months, Tesla unveiled an updated design of the Semi with several key upgrades. This included improved range and charging specifications.

For charging, 1.2 MW ultra-fast charging will be available to logistics operators, and the Semi will be able to use Tesla’s supercharging hardware to achieve those speeds.

In recent months, there has been news of the first Megachargers coming online, paving the path for dozens of sites in the coming months.

The updated Semi also has improved aerodynamics for better efficiency and increased payload capacity, along with updates to its charging capabilities.

This has now allowed the truck to deliver over 800 km of range with an 800 kW drivetrain and energy consumption as low as 1.06 kWh/km.

Earlier this month, it was reported that mass production of the Tesla Semi at the company’s currently being constructed factory in Nevada was expected to begin soon.

With Tesla Semi’s production around the corner and diesel prices remaining high, many freight and logistics companies may consider adding electric trucks to their fleets.

The new Semi appears to have made big upgrades, as seen in Jay Leno’s video, which would save fleet operators huge amounts of money during operations. That’s something many fleet operators would not argue with.

Riz is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.