CO2 emissions from cars: facts and figures (infographics) | Topics | European Parliament (2024)

FAQs

How much CO2 emissions are from cars? ›

A typical passenger vehicle emits about 4.6 metric tons of CO₂ per year. This assumes the average gasoline vehicle on the road today has a fuel economy of about 22.2 miles per gallon and drives around 11,500 miles per year. Every gallon of gasoline burned creates about 8,887 grams of CO₂.

Around 5.6 tonnes of CO2 are released during a petrol or diesel car's manufacture on average, around three quarters of which are released during production of the steel body in white.

Electricity and heat production are the largest contributors to global emissions. This is followed by transport, manufacturing, construction (largely cement and similar materials), and agriculture.

Passenger cars are a major polluter, accounting for 61% of total CO2 emissions from EU road transport.

In total, the US transportation sector—which includes cars, trucks, planes, trains, ships, and freight—produces nearly thirty percent of all US global warming emissions, more than almost any other sector.

Fossil fuels – coal, oil and gas – are by far the largest contributor to global climate change, accounting for over 75 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 90 per cent of all carbon dioxide emissions. As greenhouse gas emissions blanket the Earth, they trap the sun's heat.

The luxury sports car brand Bugatti received the highest NEDC with an average of 0.52 kg/km — much higher than any other brand. In second place was Rolls Royce with 0.35 kg/km, followed by Lamborghini and Ferrari with similar NEDC data. But vehicles don't have to be expensive to produce high levels of pollution.

The pollution from your brakes and tires isn't benign, either. Tests by Emissions Analytics, an engineering consulting company based in England, found tires produce about 2,000 times more particle pollution by mass than tailpipes. Although not regulated, those emissions exceed the legal particle limits for exhaust.

How does making cars affect the environment? ›

Cars consume a lot of energy before they ever make it to the open road. Automotive production leaves a giant footprint because materials like steel, rubber, glass, plastics, paints, and many more must be created before a new ride is ready to roll.

1 – Fossil fuels – It is no surprise that the fossil fuels sector is the most polluting in the world. Despite this knowledge, emissions from fossil fuels keep increasing. After a brief decline during the Covid 19 pandemic, they grew by 1% in 2022, reaching 40.5 gigatons of CO2.

The largest source of greenhouse gas emissions from human activities in the United States is from burning fossil fuels for electricity, heat, and transportation.

A CNN report says, “Making American cars greener is a key component of Biden's economic and climate agendas… But the transition will be difficult; passenger vehicles contribute 29% of total US greenhouse gas emissions, and EVs and plug‐​in hybrids combined only account for around 2% of the US auto sales, according to a ...

The largest source of greenhouse gas emissions from human activities in the United States is from burning fossil fuels for electricity, heat, and transportation.

By 2021, average CO₂ emissions per mile for a new car had fallen by about half, to 347 grams per mile. Most of those efficiency gains came during 1975-1985, when average new car emissions dropped sharply to just over 400 grams per mile, catalyzed in part by the consumer response to high gas prices.

Fossil fuels – coal, oil and gas – are by far the largest contributor to global climate change, accounting for over 75 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 90 per cent of all carbon dioxide emissions. As greenhouse gas emissions blanket the Earth, they trap the sun's heat.