Does a car burn more fuel carrying more people?

Question

Always wondered this!

I would guess that it uses same fuel and adding more load to carry just makes the engine more efficient.

Answer 1

If you give someone a piggy back will you burn more calories ?? .......

Answer 2

yes engine is under more load when you have a heavier car that means more fuel used. and it also increases your stopping distance

Answer 3

yes

Answer 4

Not if you're going downhill!

Answer 5

Yes it burns a little more fuel they even suggest taking things out of your trunk you don't need to help improve gas milage.

Answer 6

Force equals Mass times acceleration (F=ma) so if there is more weight then a greater force is required for a given acceleration so the engine will burn more petrol.  

Answer 7

Adding more weight means more strain on the engine and more gas consumption. Same concept with you. If you carry a 45lb. weight you have to work harder to get where you are going.

Answer 8

Course it will, the engine has more weight to carry and therefore will burn more fuel

Answer 9

Yes of course there is not such thing as a free lunch. Every bit of power needed uses fuel. Lights, windscreen wipers, air conditioning uses a lot. Even leaving stuff in the boot you don't need makes a difference  

Answer 10

More people in the car means more weight.  The engine will have to work harder to reach/stay at a set speed.  This will take more fuel.

Answer 11

Of course it uses more gas. Gas is the cars source of energy basically. Making the car weigh more it would take more energy. Same way lifting a small poodle puppy would be easy than trying to pick up your 10 year old sibling. It would take more energy

Answer 12

yes !! it will burn more fuel as the weight gets higher and higher and the engine is doing more work.

It will also effect the steering of your vehicle as i found out when i was driving my old car (no power steering) with 4 other people inside, it was really stiff !

Steering does become more stiff with power steering but its not as noticeable.