How To Find Out CO2 Emissions for My Van: Eco-Friendly Van Carbon Calculator

Georgette Kilgore headshot, wearing 8 Billion Trees shirt with forest in the background.Written by Georgette Kilgore

Carbon Ecological Footprint Calculators | October 3, 2024

Woman leaning out the driver's side window of her van looks at a cloud of CO2 emissions coming from under the hood and wonders how to find out the co2 emissions for my van.

When asking the question, how to find out CO2 emissions for my van, the answer is dependent on how the van is used.

A van’s CO2 emissions form part of the global GHG emissions of the entire transportation sector.16

But, the main thing that determines the carbon footprint of electric cars vs gasoline is how much fuel is used.

Calculate your van’s emissions now:

What Percentage of the Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions Does the Transportation Sector Emit?

Many people ask, what percentage of the global greenhouse gas emissions does the transportation sector emit?

The answer is three-part:

Breakdown of the three levels of carbon dioxide emissions of the transportation sector.

In addition to the above figures, the following numbers also apply to the transportation sector:

  • Road Transport: 12.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Shipping: 764.8 MtCO2
  • The biggest source of emissions in the transportation sector is passenger vehicles.

The below table indicates the increase in CO2 emissions related to the transportation sector between 1990 – 2020 (MMT).1

Year Asia-Pacific Europe Northern US Central & Southern US Middle East Africa CIS
2020 2,036 MMT 955 MMT 1,823 MMT 387 MMT 366 MMT 331 MMT 270 MMT
2019 2,158

MMT

 1,102

MMT

 2,089 MMT 430 MMT 395 MMT 380 MMT 287 MMT
2018 2,127 MMT 1,105 MMT 2,098 MMT 436 MMT 384 MMT 375 MMT 285 MMT
2017 2,095 MMT 1,120 MMT 2,047 MMT 448 MMT 391 MMT 356 MMT 292 MMT
2016 2,004 MMT 1,100 MMT 2,041 MMT 445 MMT 389 MMT 354 MMT 288 MMT
2015 1,944 MMT 1,068 MMT 2,024 MMT 441 MMT 399 MMT 339 MMT 288 MMT
2014 1,856 MMT 1,043 MMT 1,966 MMT 448 MMT 401 MMT 336 MMT 289 MMT
2013 1,807 MMT 1,033 MMT 1,972 MMT 435 MMT 384 MMT 321 MMT 285 MMT
2012 1,723 MMT 1,035 MMT 1,920 MMT 435 MMT 372 MMT 285 MMT 284 MMT
2011 1,617 MMT 1,060 MMT 1,953 MMT 405 MMT 352 MMT 268 MMT 292 MMT
2010 1,524 MMT 1,070 MMT 1,999 MMT 381 MMT 340 MMT 265 MMT 283 MMT
2009 1,437 MMT 1,075 MMT 1,933 MMT 350 MMT 340 MMT 244 MMT 266 MMT
2008 1,393 MMT 1,115 MMT 2,026 MMT 353 MMT 321 MMT 233 MMT 286 MMT
2007 1,343 MMT 1,136 MMT 2,118 MMT 340 MMT 303 MMT 219 MMT 269 MMT
2006 1,268 MMT 1,110 MMT 2,102 MMT 325 MMT 290 MMT 208 MMT 265 MMT
2005 1,238 MMT 1,089 MMT 2,096 MMT 319 MMT 274 MMT 202 MMT 255 MMT
2004 1,214 MMT 1,086 MMT 2,069 MMT 309 MMT 253 MMT 199 MMT 256 MMT
2003 1,134 MMT 1,059 MMT 2,036 MMT 289 MMT 237 MMT 190 MMT 241 MMT
2002 1,087 MMT 1,042 MMT 2,002 MMT 289 MMT 232 MMT 178 MMT 230 MMT
2001 1,050 MMT 1,027 MMT 1,976 MMT 291 MMT 220 MMT 170 MMT 225 MMT
2000 1,028 MMT 1,012 MMT 1,973 MMT 289 MMT 210 MMT 16 MMT 220 MMT
1999 926 MMT 1,010 MMT 1,938 MMT 289 MMT 198 MMT 158 MMT 222 MMT
1998 880 MMT 995 MMT 1,886 MMT 295 MMT 191 MMT 150 MMT 223 MMT
1997 898 MMT 972 MMT 1,843 MMT 284 MMT 187 MMT 150 MMT 192 MMT
1996 903 MMT 954 MMT 1,809 MMT 273 MMT 184 MMT 141 MMT 210 MMT
1995 821 MMT 923 MMT 1,764 MMT 256 MMT 176 MMT 135 MMT 217 MMT
1994 760 MMT 909 MMT 1,738 MMT 236 MMT 182 MMT 126 MMT 232 MMT
1993 737 MMT 911 MMT 1,673 MMT 227 MMT 171 MMT 124 MMT 270 MMT
1992 692 MMT 907 MMT 1,646 MMT 215 MMT 160 MMT 125 MMT 319 MMT
1991 653 MMT 913 MMT 1,610 MMT 210 MMT 147 MMT 120 MMT 341 MMT
1990 620 MMT 896 MMT 1,635 MMT 203 MMT 143 MMT 114 MMT 345 MMT

CO2 Emissions by Source

CO2 emissions by source are indicated as follows:17,2

Pie graph illustration of the GHG emissions of the four biggest sectors in the economic industry.

CO2 Emissions by Energy Source

CO2 emissions by energy source are indicated as follows:

Energy consumption of different manufacturing industries.

Furthermore, the CO2 emissions by energy sources are stated below, related to the transportation sector.

Bar graph illustration of the carbon dioxide emissions of the transportation industry.

Carbon Footprint of Electric Cars vs Gasoline

Then there is the carbon footprint of different types of vehicles within the transportation sector.

The carbon footprint of electric cars vs gasoline cars is indicated as follows:3

Bar graph comparison of electric and fuel-powered cars from different brands and their model.

How Many Miles Can Electric Cars Go?

The question is often asked, how many miles can electric cars go? The answer is related to the model and battery of the particular electric car.18

Battery electric vehicles can go an average of 250 miles on one charge. Newer model battery electric vehicles are able to go around 600 miles on one charge.

Hybrid electric vehicles can run for 60 miles in electric mode on one charge, and after a single charge, they can usually cover around 300 miles.

The Mercedes-Benz EQS runs for 485 miles on a single charge, while a Tesla Model S EV runs for about 405 miles on a single charge.4

Carbon Footprint of Driving vs Flying

CO2 emissions are produced by most modes of transportation, including planes, cars, buses, trains, and ships.

The following table indicates the carbon footprint of driving vs flying:5

Bar graph illustration of the carbon footprint of different transportation used for traveling.

Electric cars are the best option when comparing driving to flying CO2 emissions. However, often even driving gas-powered cars is a better option than flying, when taking into account the number of passengers.

Other comparisons include:

  • Traveling by coach produces 27g of carbon emissions per person per km. This is compared to 41 g of carbon emissions per person per km when traveling by UK rail.
  • Traveling by train between London and Madrid would produce 43 kg of CO2 per passenger, compared to 118 kg by plane for the same journey. This figure (by plane) increases to 265kg per person when non-CO2 emissions are included in the calculation.

How Much CO2 Does a Van Emit per Mile?

When calculating the CO2 emissions per van,19 the first question asked is, how much CO2 does a van emit per mile?

Vans account for 13% of all road transportation pollution in the EU alone.

In addition to this, vans are also the fastest-growing source of carbon emissions in the transportation sector. While there are electric van options, most consumers still opt for gas-powered vans.

A new van emitted 159 g of carbon emissions per km in 2019. This figure only slightly decreased in 2020 to 154g.

The EU goal is to reduce van emissions by a further 31% by 2030.6

How To Find Out CO2 Emissions for My Van

Finally, the question that remains is, how to find out CO2 emissions for my van?

The best way to find the answer to this question is to find an online van carbon footprint calculator, enter the registration number or model/make, and the CO2 emissions will be calculated automatically based on existing data.

Van Carbon Footprint Calculator

A van carbon footprint calculator typically requires the following inputs:

  • Name of manufacturer
  • Model
  • Derivative
  • Annual mileage
  • This will calculate the combined CO2 in miles and km.7

Van Eco Footprint Calculator

An online van eco-footprint calculator can also use the following inputs to calculate the CO2 emissions of a van (or car).

CO2 by the amount of fuel burned:

  • Amount of fuel used in liters or gallons
  • Fuel type: petrol/diesel
  • This will calculate the CO2 emissions in kg

CO2 by the amount of money used to purchase fuel

  • Cost of fuel in pounds or dollars
  • Fuel type: petrol/diesel
  • This will calculate the CO2 emissions in kg

CO2 by mileage

  • Distance in miles or km
  • Consumption in MPG or liters per 100km
  • Fuel type: petrol/diesel
  • This will calculate the CO2 emissions in kg8

A van eco-footprint calculator can also be used to answer the question, of how to find out CO2 emissions for my van, when calculating a live-in situation.

An existing calculation states that driving 12,500 miles in a van can create up to 10,000 CO2 emissions.

That is a large figure and doesn’t include the CO2 emissions caused by:20

  • Manufacturing
  • Waste
  • Service

However, there are ways to cut down on this footprint:

  • Planning routes ahead of time to cut down on unnecessary driving.
  • Choosing a battery-electric or hybrid van.
  • Reusing materials inside the van.9

How To Find Out CO2 Emissions for My Van

The second part of ‘how to find out CO2 emissions for my van’, includes taking into account all activities that would produce CO2 emissions.

This includes things like service and maintenance, which helps lower the van’s emissions, but generates them at the service station.10, 11

Vehicle Emissions Checker

An online vehicle emissions checker can also be implemented to calculate CO2, CO, and NOx emissions per vehicle.

An online vehicle emissions checker produces the following information:

  • Car model and engine type
  • Emissions legislation relevant to the car
  • The total amount of NOx and CO of each engine as calculated with independent testing since 2012
  • The total amount of CO2 per tailpipe per car since 2017

The CO2 figures are calculated in g/km, and the NOx and CO emissions are rated according to ‘very low’ and ‘extremely high.’

CO2 Emissions by Car Model

Using an online vehicle emissions checker allows for the calculation of CO2 emissions by car model.21 The CO2 emissions include NOx, CO2, and CO.

Car Emissions Table

The below car emissions table explains the different car emission levels:12

Car Emission Levels NOx CO Equivalent to
Extremely low (trace) Less than 0.015g/km Less than 0.015g/km NOx emissions are 5x less than Euro 6 limit (diesel) Or 7x less than Euro 6 petrol limit (CO).
Very low Less than 0.08g/km Less than 0.05g/km Less NOx than Euro 6 limit (diesel)
Low Less than 0.18g/km Less than 0.5g/km Less NOx than Euro 6 limit (diesel)
Medium Less than 0.5g/km Less than 1g/km Less NOx than Euro 4 limit (diesel) or less CO than Euro 6 limit (CO)
High Less than 0.97g/km Less than 2.72g/km More NOx than Euro 3 limit (diesel), or more CO than Euro 3 limit (petrol)
Extremely high More than 0.97g/km More than 2.72g/km More NOx than Euro 1 limit (diesel) or more CO than Euro 1 limit (petrol)

How Much CO2 Do Cars Emit Worldwide?

The next question then is, how much CO2 do cars emit worldwide?

The following table indicates the total global CO2 emissions of passenger cars between 2000 and 2020:13

Year CO2 Emissions in Billion Metric Tons
2020 3 billion metric tons
2019 3.2 billion metric tons
2018 3.1 billion metric tons
2017 3.1 billion metric tons
2016 3 billion metric tons
2015 3 billion metric tons
2014 2.9 billion metric tons
2013 2.8 billion metric tons
2012 2.8 billion metric tons
2011 2.7 billion metric tons
2010 2.6 billion metric tons
2009 2.6 billion metric tons
2008 2.6 billion metric tons
2007 2.5 billion metric tons
2006 2.5 billion metric tons
2005 2.4 billion metric tons
2004 2.4 billion metric tons
2003 2.4 billion metric tons
2002 2.3 billion metric tons
2001 2.3 billion metric tons
2000 2.2 billion metric tons

Average CO2 Emissions per Car per Year

The average CO2 emissions per car per year22 are estimated to be around 4 tons.

Petrol and diesel-powered cars produce methane and nitrous oxide, while car air conditioners may leak hydrofluorocarbon.

Ford Ranger CO2 Emissions

Ford Ranger CO2 emissions range between 178 grams of CO2 per kilometer and 233 grams of CO2 per kilometer.

BMW 1 Series CO2 Emissions

The below table indicates BMW 1 series CO2 emissions:

Make and Model: Year Fuel Type of BMW Transmission CO2e
BMW 1-series 2020 Petrol Manual – g/km CO2e
BMW 1-series 2019 Petrol Manual 121 g/km CO2e
BMW 1-series 2018 Petrol Manual 116 g/km CO2e
BMW 1-series 2017 Petrol Manual 116 g/km CO2e
BMW 1-series 2016 Petrol Manual 131 g/km CO2e
BMW 1-series 2016 Petrol Manual 131 g/km CO2e
BMW 1-series 2015 Petrol Manual 116 g/km CO2e
BMW 1-series 2015 Petrol Manual 116 g/km CO2e
BMW 1-series 2014 Petrol Manual 125 g/km CO2e
BMW 1-series 2014 Petrol Manual 125 g/km CO2e
BMW 1-series 2013 Petrol Manual 124 g/km CO2e
BMW 1-series 2013 Petrol Manual 124 g/km CO2e
BMW 1-series 2012 Petrol Manual 124 g/km CO2e
BMW 1-series 2012 Petrol Manual 124 g/km CO2e
BMW 1-series 2011 Petrol Automatic 154 g/km CO2e
BMW 1-series 2011 Petrol Automatic 154 g/km CO2e
BMW 1-series 2011 Petrol Manual 125 g/km CO2e
BMW 1-series 2010 Petrol Automatic 154 g/km CO2e
BMW 1-series 2010 Petrol Automatic 154 g/km CO2e
BMW 1-series 2009 Petrol Manual 143 g/km CO2e
BMW 1-series 2009 Petrol Manual 143 g/km CO2e
BMW 1-series 2008 Diesel Automatic 145 g/km CO2e
BMW 1-series 2008 Diesel Automatic 145 g/km CO2e
BMW 1-series 2007 Petrol Manual 139 g/km CO2e
BMW 1-series 2007 Petrol Manual 180 g/km CO2e
BMW 1-series 2006 Petrol Manual 180 g/km CO2e
BMW 1-series 2005 Petrol Manual 176 g/km CO2e
BMW 1-series 2004 Petrol Manual 181 g/km CO2e

Audi CO2 Emissions Calculator

The Audi CO2 emissions calculator was designed and added to the Audi website to allow Audi drivers to calculate the amount of CO2 emitted while driving.

In addition to the calculator, Audi drivers residing in Mexico can offset their carbon emissions by buying carbon credits from the Oaxaca forests.14

Cars With Lowest CO2 Emissions

The cars with lowest CO2 emissions in 2022 is ranked as follows:23,15

Car Model CO2g per km
Citroen DS 3 100g of CO2 per km
Ford Fiesta 82g of CO2 per km
Audi A1 108g of CO2 per km
Toyota Yaris Hybrid 84g of CO2 per km
Audi A4 2.0 TDI Ultra 99g of CO2 per km
Ford Focus Estate 96g of CO2 per km
Hyundai Ioniq 79g of CO2 per km
Mercedes A-Class 108g of CO2 per km
Nissan Qashqai 100g of CO2 per km
Citroen Grand C4 SpaceTourer 105g of CO2 per km

Truck CO2 Emissions per Km

The average truck CO2 emissions per km are 161g of carbon emissions per km. A single truck’s carbon footprint is equal to that of 14 people in the US.

Diesel Truck CO2 Emissions per Km

The average diesel truck CO2 emissions24 per km is 132g of carbon emissions per km.

Read More About: Truck Carbon Footprint Calculator: Choose Your Pickup’s Year, Make, and Model

Truck CO2 Emissions per Km Calculator

The general formula of a truck CO2 emissions per km calculator is;

D = distance

W = weight

EF – emissions factor

The calculation of emissions for a truck that travels 1,000 miles with 20 tons of cargo (short tons), will require the following inputs:

  • Total ton-miles (1,000 miles x 20 tons = 20,000 ton-miles)
  • Emissions factor (average emissions factor for a freight truck in America is 161.8g of CO2 per ton-mile.)
  • 161.8 x 20,000 = 3.236,000 grams of carbon dioxide
  • Convert the total amount of grams into metric tons = 3.24 metric tons of carbon dioxide

Whether the question is ‘how to find out CO2 emissions for my van’ or how to calculate truck and car emissions, an online calculator is the most reliable way to calculate true figures.

Frequently Asked Questions About How To Find Out CO2 Emissions for My Van

How Much CO2 Do Cars Emit Worldwide Percentage?

Passenger cars are responsible for 41% of global CO2 emissions.

How Much CO2 Does a Car Emit per Mile?

A typical passenger car emits an estimated 411g of CO2 per mile.

How To Find Out CO2 Emissions for My Van?

An online calculator can calculate the CO2 emissions of a van, with the use of the registration number and make/model. Online calculators make use of existing data to calculate CO2 emissions.

How Do I Find Out the CO2 Emissions of My Car?

The CO2 emissions of a car can be checked via the registration certificate or by means of a car CO2 emissions online calculator.

How To Calculate CO2 Emissions of My Car by Registration?

The UK-based MPG online calculator can calculate a car’s CO2 emissions simply by entering the registration number.

What Is the Truck’s CO2 Emissions per Mile?

The average truck CO2 emissions per mile is 253g of CO2 per ton-mile (diesel truck).

What Are the Cars With Lowest CO2 Emissions?

Cars with the lowest CO2 emissions include the Toyota Prius, Jaguar I-Pace, Hyundai Ioniq, and Ford Fiesta.

What Is the CO2 Emissions Checker?

An online CO2 emissions checker checks emissions by make and model and produces figures according to CO2 per tailpipe and CO2 well to wheel.

What Is the CO2 Emissions per kWh Calculator?

A CO2 emission per kWh calculator requires the following inputs:

  • kWh used per activity
  • Amount of times activity is performed
  • The time period in which the activity is performed.

Read More About How To Find Out CO2 Emissions for My Van

References

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25Image Source: <https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/8cdc375f68f547fe368c64b86b44e1c252f9ca02/hub/2021/10/27/4321a379-0f47-4717-93c0-a0b7b92f0a34/mercedes-benz-sustaineer-van-promo-image.jpg?auto=webp&fit=crop&height=675&width=1200>