Driving Carbon Footprint Calculator
Estimate the CO₂ from your driving. Enter your distance and fuel economy for a year or a single trip, compare with a hybrid or electric car on your local grid, and see the tree seedling equivalent and offset cost.
Written by Suhaib Hassan. Figures are estimates you can edit. Our methodology.
It converts distance and fuel economy to gallons or kilowatt-hours, then multiplies by EPA emission factors for the fuel or the grid.
People ask how much their commute emits and whether an electric car would help. This shows both with the working laid out.
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| Vehicle | Tonnes CO₂e | vs yours |
|---|
Emissions by vehicle
Approximate emissions from the tailpipe (or from the grid for an electric car) over 12,000 miles. Manufacturing, fuel production and grid mix all move the real figure.
| Vehicle | g CO₂e per mile | Tonnes per 12,000 mi | Tree seedlings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full-size pickup, 17 mpg | 523 | 6.27 | 105 |
| Midsize SUV, 22 mpg | 404 | 4.85 | 81 |
| Midsize SUV, 26 mpg | 342 | 4.10 | 68 |
| Sedan, 32 mpg | 278 | 3.33 | 56 |
| Hybrid, 52 mpg | 171 | 2.05 | 34 |
| Electric, 0.30 kWh/mi, US average grid | 122 | 1.46 | 24 |
Formulas
How the numbers are worked out.
Fuel emissions
Burning a US gallon of gasoline releases 8,887 g of CO₂ and a gallon of diesel 10,180 g (EPA). Divide distance by fuel economy for the gallons used.
CO₂ = (distance ÷ mpg) × 8,887 gElectric car emissions
Electricity used, plus about 5% lost in transmission, times the grid's carbon intensity.
CO₂ = distance × kWh/mi × 1.05 × g per kWhTrees and offsets
The EPA counts 0.060 tonnes of CO₂ absorbed by one urban tree seedling grown for 10 years.
seedlings = tonnes ÷ 0.060
cost = tonnes × price per tonneWorked examples
Illustrative figures, each checked by hand. The first is the default setup.
Midsize SUV
12,000 miles a year at 26 mpg (the default).
461.5 × 8,887 g = 4.10 tonnes CO₂
= 342 g per mile, about 68 tree seedlings
Switching to electric
Same 12,000 miles, 0.30 kWh per mile, US average grid.
× 386 g = 1.46 tonnes, a saving of about 2.6 tonnes (64%)
One road trip
500 miles in a 30 mpg car.
16.7 × 8,887 g = 148 kg CO₂
How to calculate your driving emissions
- Choose units and whether the distance is a year or one trip.
- Pick the vehicle type and enter its fuel economy or electricity use.
- For an electric car, set the grid's carbon intensity.
- Read the emissions, the comparison with other vehicles and the offset cost.
These are estimates from standard emission factors. They count the tailpipe (or the power plant) but not vehicle manufacturing or fuel production. Real fuel economy varies with driving style, load and temperature.
By Suhaib Hassan · Reviewed 29 September 2026 · How CalculatePilot verifies formulas →
Sources
- U.S. EPA, Greenhouse Gas Emissions from a Typical Passenger Vehicle (8,887 g CO₂ per gallon of gasoline; 10,180 g per gallon of diesel).
- U.S. EPA, Greenhouse Gases Equivalencies Calculator, Calculations and References (urban tree seedlings, 0.060 t CO₂ over 10 years).
- U.S. EPA, eGRID, national average electricity emission rate.
Frequently asked questions
How much CO₂ does a car emit per mile?
A gasoline car at 26 mpg emits about 342 g of CO₂ per mile. Each US gallon of gasoline burned releases 8,887 g of CO₂.
Are electric cars really cleaner?
Usually, even on an average grid, because power plants are more efficient than engines and grids keep getting cleaner. On a very coal-heavy grid the gap narrows.
How many trees offset a car?
By the EPA equivalency, one urban tree seedling grown for 10 years absorbs 0.060 tonnes of CO₂, so a typical car needs about 68 seedlings for a year of driving.
Does this include manufacturing?
No. It covers running emissions only.
Why does the offset price vary?
Offset prices depend on the project type and quality. The default of $15 per tonne is only a placeholder. Enter the price you are quoted.
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