Car Carbon Footprint Calculator
Estimate the CO₂ your car emits per year from distance, fuel consumption and fuel type.
Result
Fuel burned (L/year)
840
CO₂ (kg/year)
1,940
CO₂ (tonnes/year)
1.94
How it works
Burning one litre of petrol releases about 2.31 kg of CO₂, and one litre of diesel about 2.68 kg. The gas outweighs the fuel because the carbon in it binds with oxygen drawn from the air — most of the CO₂'s mass is oxygen, not fuel. The calculation is direct: your yearly distance divided by 100, times your consumption in L/100km, gives the litres burned; multiply by the fuel's factor for the CO₂. A typical 12,000 km per year at 7 L/100km on petrol burns 840 L and emits about 1.9 tonnes of CO₂. This counts tailpipe emissions only — building the car, refining the fuel and transporting it add more. To cut the number: drive less where possible, keep tyres inflated, avoid aggressive acceleration, and consider the consumption figure carefully on your next vehicle — it is the single biggest lever.
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Frequently asked questions
How can 1 litre of fuel produce over 2 kg of CO₂?
The carbon atoms in the fuel combine with oxygen from the air during combustion. Each carbon atom picks up two oxygen atoms, so most of the CO₂’s weight comes from atmospheric oxygen, not from the fuel itself.
Is diesel worse than petrol for CO₂?
Per litre, yes (≈2.68 vs ≈2.31 kg). But diesel engines usually consume fewer litres per 100 km, so per kilometre the two often end up close. Compare on a per-km basis.
What about electric cars?
They have no tailpipe CO₂. Their footprint depends on how the electricity is generated — use our electricity carbon footprint calculator with your grid type to estimate it.
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