Is it okay to leave a car idling to warm up in the winter?

I have recently changed from a Jaguar F-Pace to an Audi Q8 and am bitterly disappointed with the mobile phone app. The car itself is wonderful but, unlike the Jaguar app, the Audi does not automatically track journeys and does not allow remote start.
I can live without the former but the latter is going to make winter uncomfortable. Given the current furore regarding leaving a car idling what are your views on this applying to warming up an engine?

Asked on 2 September 2019 by Nick Baldwin

Answered by Andrew Brady

It depends on the car and where you live, I suppose. Features like remote heating are popular with electric cars as they can be warmed up while plugged in to save energy once moving, and they obviously don't have the same drawbacks of a combustion-engined car idling. Leaving a diesel car idling in an urban area to warm up is pretty antisocial.

Tags: winter cold starts car apps remote start