Car Emissions Calculator
Calculate annual car emissions and compare fuel types.
About Car Emissions Calculator
Petrol emits about 2.31 kg of CO2 per litre burned, a fixed figure set by its carbon content. Electric vehicle emissions depend entirely on the grid, so the same car is nearly clean on a low-carbon grid and comparable to a hybrid on a coal-heavy one. Occupancy is the largest lever available without changing vehicle: four people sharing emit a quarter each of the same journey driven alone.
Formula
Car Emissions
Emissions = distance × consumption ÷ 100 × emission factor for the fuel
- grid intensity
- Determines electric vehicle emissions, varying widely by country
- occupancy
- Emissions divide across occupants, unlike per-seat transport
Worked example
With the default values below, Car Emissions Calculator returns Annual Emissions of 2,425.50. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.
Inputs used
- Annual distance drivenminimum 0 km
- 15,000 km
- Fuel typeone of Petrol, Diesel, Hybrid, Plug-in hybrid, Electric
- Petrol
- Consumption per 100 kmminimum 0.1 L or kWh
- 7 L or kWh
- Grid carbon intensityminimum 0 kg/kWh
- 0.25 kg/kWh
- Average occupantsminimum 1
- 1.5
Results
- Annual Emissions
- 2,425.50 kg CO2e
- Emissions per Kilometre
- 161.7 g CO2e
- Emissions per Passenger Kilometre
- 107.8 g CO2e
- Annual Emissions if Electric
- 675.00 kg CO2e
- Saving From Switching to Electric
- 1,750.50 kg CO2e
Step by step
- 1Values used
- 2Car Emissions
- 3Annual Emissions= 2,425.50 kg CO2e
- 4Emissions per Kilometre= 161.7 g CO2e
- 5Emissions per Passenger Kilometre= 107.8 g CO2e
- 6Annual Emissions if Electric= 675.00 kg CO2e
- 7Saving From Switching to Electric= 1,750.50 kg CO2e
Assumptions and limits
- The result is derived only from the 5 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
- In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax or fees or charges into account.
- Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Car Emissions calculated?
Emissions = distance × consumption ÷ 100 × emission factor for the fuel Petrol emits about 2.31 kg of CO2 per litre burned, a fixed figure set by its carbon content. Electric vehicle emissions depend entirely on the grid, so the same car is nearly clean on a low-carbon grid and comparable to a hybrid on a coal-heavy one.
Why does Car Emissions matter?
Occupancy is the largest lever available without changing vehicle: four people sharing emit a quarter each of the same journey driven alone.
What values do I need to enter?
This calculator takes 5 inputs: Annual distance driven, Fuel type, Consumption per 100 km, Grid carbon intensity, Average occupants. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.