What Emissions Does a Car Produce? A Comprehensive Guide

Cars emit smog-forming pollutants such as nitrogen oxide & carbon monoxide & greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide & methane which cause climate change & global warming. Learn more about car emissions & their effects.

What Emissions Does a Car Produce? A Comprehensive Guide

Cars and trucks that burn fuel also emit smog-forming emissions, such as nitrogen oxide, non-methane organic gases, carbon monoxide, particulate matter and formaldehyde. The term carbon emissions is usually synonymous with the term greenhouse gases. These gases include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone and water vapor. When released, for example, by a car, the gases flow into the atmosphere, where they trap heat from the sun.

The average global temperature rises and the long-term warming resulting from Earth's climate is known as global warming. Vehicle pollutants harm our health and contain greenhouse gases that cause climate change. Burning gasoline and diesel fuel creates harmful by-products such as nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, benzene and formaldehyde. In addition, vehicles emit carbon dioxide, the most common greenhouse gas.Argonne National Laboratory GREET model estimates lifecycle oil use and GHG emissions from vehicles running on compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Under this model, heavy-duty natural gas vehicles can provide small to moderate GHG reduction benefits compared to diesel throughout the fuel lifecycle. Actual reductions will depend on both relative fuel economy and methane leaks from vehicles and upstream. When comparing the lifecycle emissions of the two types of natural gas, CNG and LNG are almost identical.CO2 emissions from passenger transport vary significantly depending on the mode of transport. Passenger cars are a major polluter, accounting for 61% of total CO2 emissions from EU road transport.

Average emission rates per vehicle assume a fleet comprised exclusively of gasoline and diesel vehicles. Petrol and electric hybrids are taken into account in the values of gasoline vehicles.Natural gas vehicles continue to provide lifecycle emissions benefits, especially when replacing conventional vehicles. In geographical areas that use relatively low-pollution energy sources for electricity generation, all-electric vehicles and PHEVs tend to have lower emissions well behind the wheel than similar conventional vehicles that run on gasoline or diesel. In fact, transportation emits more than half of the nitrogen oxides in our air and is a major source of global warming emissions in the U.

S.In the case of gasoline, emissions are produced by extracting oil from the earth, refining it, distributing fuel to stations and burning it in vehicles. Hybrid cars, electric cars and alternative fuels will continue to help, but the large number of people and cars on the roads compensate for these improvements. This is part of its efforts to reduce CO2 emissions and achieve climate neutrality by 2050 within the framework of the European Green Deal roadmap.In the case of electricity, most power plants produce emissions, and there are additional emissions associated with the extraction, processing and distribution of the primary energy sources they use to produce electricity.PHEVs produce zero tailpipe emissions when in all-electric mode, but can produce evaporative emissions. An advantage of natural gas (NGV) vehicles is their ability to meet these stringent standards with less complicated emission controls.

In regions that rely heavily on coal for electricity generation, electric vehicles may not demonstrate a strong well-to-wheel emission benefit. According to the EPA, current cars are 98 to 99 percent cleaner for most tailpipe contaminants compared to the 1960s. Natural gas vehicles with ultra-low NOx engines can produce near-zero NOx emissions, meeting the California Air Resources Board's optional near-zero emissions standard of 0.02 NOx. EPA requires conversion system manufacturers to demonstrate that converted vehicles or engines meet the same emission standards as the original vehicle or engine.

Car emissions increase levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Kristine Althouse
Kristine Althouse

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