A typical passenger vehicle emits around 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year, which is a major contributor to global warming. Road transport accounts for approximately one fifth of EU emissions, and cars and trucks account for nearly one-fifth of all U. S. emissions, emitting about 24 pounds of carbon dioxide and other gases that heat the Earth for every gallon of gas.
Approximately five pounds come from the extraction, production and delivery of fuel, while most heat-trapping emissions (more than 19 pounds per gallon) come directly from a car's exhaust pipe. A large car emits 85% more greenhouse gases per km on average than a small vehicle, according to UK government figures. Electric cars have lower carbon emissions: they emit about a third of the CO2 of a petrol car in the United Kingdom, although this figure will vary from country to country depending on the amount of fossil fuels that are still used to produce electricity. The stock of cars on the roads will also alter this: cars on U.
highways are generally larger and less efficient than those in Europe, for example. Both the EPA and NHTSA cited important commitments by manufacturers to increase electric vehicle production and improve the efficiency of the entire fleet in the coming years as justification that manufacturers will be able to meet the more stringent standards of the proposals. Medium-duty and heavy-duty trucks account for only 5 percent of vehicles on the road, but account for about 24 percent of U. emissions.
This category includes tractor-trailers, large vans and vans, delivery trucks, buses and garbage trucks. As the world shifts to lower carbon sources of electricity, electric vehicles offer a viable option to reduce emissions from passenger vehicles. The rise in electric vehicles is supported by Phase 2 standards which provide flexibility for manufacturers through averaging, banking and trading between regulated parties to accelerate the deployment of new technologies and reduce the cost of compliance. If you're happy with your current car or can't change it right now, there are two main ways to reduce your CO2 emissions and fuel consumption: carpooling or switching to public transportation, cycling and walking could help reduce emissions.
And, in some cases, you can benefit from a very cheap or even tax-free car tax if your vehicle is in a very low emission category. The executive order directs EPA and NHTSA to begin the process of developing standards to establish emissions and fuel economy standards for passenger cars and light trucks that extend through model year 2030, which will be completed no later than July 2024.It's very easy to forget these elements, but they could increase carbon emissions and fuel consumption at the same time.