Vehicle Emissions
The best scenario of all when it comes to air pollution has nothing to do with tailpipe filters or hybrid, electric, or zero emissions car technology. The way to reduce pollution is to reduce driving, plain and simple - Elly Blue, Bikenomics: How Bicycling Can Save The Economy

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HWN Suggests
Car emissions are a major source of pollution
Every gallon of gas used by a car emits about 24 pounds of greenhouse gasses. Nineteen pounds come from the car’s burning of the fuel in its internal combustion engine, while the remainder come from getting the gas out of the ground and to the fuel pump...
It is time to force the switch. The current automobile market is not electrifying fast enough. Legacy internal combustion engine automakers have been dragging their feet for decades. And the United States federal government has not provided sufficient pushback to make change. State and local governments can be the changemakers through limiting the sale and usage of internal combustion engine vehicles while promoting electric vehicles.…
Featured
Better vehicle emissions standards may have saved thousands of Americans
As vehicle emissions drop, so do pollution-related deaths.
Carbon emissions from global SUV fleet outweighs that of most countries
Popularity of sport utility vehicles driving higher oil demand and climate crisis, say experts.
Gas Cars Aren’t Going Anywhere
Buying a gas car in 10 years will be about as difficult as buying a sedan today.
The big reason why the U.S. is seeking the toughest-ever rules for vehicle emissions
The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing its most ambitious new regulations yet for cutting pollution from vehicles. The overarching goal is not just cleaner cars, but the transformation of the auto industry: The EPA would essentially impose regulatory penalties on companies that do not move quickly enough toward electric cars.
Articles of Interest
Climate explained: does your driving speed make any difference to your car’s emissions?
Every car has an optimal speed range that results in minimum fuel consumption, but this range differs between vehicle types, design and age.
Decreased vehicle emissions linked with significant drop in deaths attributable to air pollution
As emissions fell over a decade, the number of deaths attributable to air pollution dropped by thousands, yielding billions of dollars in societal benefits
Dieselgate: millions of ‘extremely’ polluting cars still on Europe’s roads, says report
The research group that first exposed the scandal say ‘it’s not over’ and that governments must act.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions from a Typical Passenger Vehicle
A typical passenger vehicle emits about 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year. This number can vary based on a vehicle’s fuel, fuel economy, and the number of miles driven per year.
How Much Air Pollution Comes From Cars?
When vehicles burn gasoline made from fossil fuels, they release pollutants in the form of nitrogen dioxide, carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons, sulfur oxides, and particulate matter directly into the air. Pollutants caused by these kinds of emissions have been connected with negative impacts on human health—especially when exposed over long periods of time or in high concentrations—as well as climate change and environmental issues.
Power plants are no longer America’s biggest climate problem. Transportation is
There's no shortage of papers and technical reports on this subject. It’s just more complicated than cleaning up power plants, and will remain one of the biggest challenges as the US tries to push down emissions to fend off severe global warming.
The Biden Administration Just Proposed the Strongest Car Pollution Standards Ever
Cars are one of the largest sources of U.S. climate pollution. On April 12, the EPA proposed new car pollution standards, which will move us towards a pollution-free future. The rule will reinforce our country’s shift to electric vehicles, which EPA projects could make up two-thirds of car sales in the U.S. by 2032.
The EPA’s new plan to cut car pollution has an SUV problem
Vehicles like SUVs have larger profit margins for carmakers compared to sedans, but the EPA’s regulations also end up giving these bigger, less efficient vehicles more favorable treatment. Crossovers — larger vehicles built on car platforms — are often classified as light-duty trucks rather than cars and thus held to lower fuel efficiency and pollution standards.
These Carbon-Spewing Vehicles Must Be Stopped
But when it comes to electrifying heavy trucks and buses, among the most polluting vehicles on the road, the country is in danger of falling behind the efforts of other nations. After the global climate summit in Glasgow last fall, 15 nations, including Canada and Britain, agreed to work together so that by 2040, all trucks and buses sold in those countries will be emission-free.
Vehicles, Air Pollution, and Human Health
Cars and trucks are one of the leading causes of air pollution—but cleaner vehicles can help.
Resources
Green Vehicle Guide
There are two types of emissions that impact on the environment, air quality and human health: greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutant emissions.

