Commute Carbon Footprint
Commute CO2 a year from one-way distance and days a week, using EPA 2025 factors (car 0.297 kg per mile, bus 0.066 per rider) or your mpg or EV figures. How it works
Use the Commute Carbon Footprint
About the Commute Carbon Footprint
Driving 15 miles each way, 5 days a week, in an average US car emits about 2.32 tonnes of CO2 a year (2,317 kg), at the EPA factor of 0.297 kg per vehicle-mile. The commute carbon footprint calculator doubles the one-way distance, multiplies by the days a week and the commute weeks a year (52 unless you enter fewer), and uses EPA 2025 factors for cars, light trucks, motorcycles, bus and rail, or your own mpg or electric figures.
Commute CO2 by mode, 15 miles each way, 5 days a week
| Mode | kg CO2 per mile | Per day | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Car | 0.297 | 8.91 kg | 2,317 kg |
| Van, SUV or pickup | 0.394 | 11.82 kg | 3,073 kg |
| Motorcycle | 0.368 | 11.04 kg | 2,870 kg |
| Bus, per passenger | 0.066 | 1.98 kg | 515 kg |
| Commuter rail, per passenger | 0.133 | 3.99 kg | 1,037 kg |
| Subway or tram, per passenger | 0.093 | 2.79 kg | 725 kg |
| Electric car, US grid | 0.097 | 2.90 kg | 754 kg |
EPA Emission Factors Hub 2025, Table 10, tailpipe CO2. Electric: 0.348 kg CO2 per kWh (EPA eGRID 2023 US average) ÷ 3.6 miles per kWh (EPA). Per day is the round trip; a year is 52 weeks.
Commute CO2 a year by one-way distance, 5 days a week
| One way | Car | Van, SUV or pickup | Electric car | Bus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 mi | 772 kg | 1,024 kg | 251 kg | 172 kg |
| 10 mi | 1,544 kg | 2,049 kg | 503 kg | 343 kg |
| 15 mi | 2,317 kg | 3,073 kg | 754 kg | 515 kg |
| 20 mi | 3,089 kg | 4,098 kg | 1,005 kg | 686 kg |
| 30 mi | 4,633 kg | 6,146 kg | 1,508 kg | 1,030 kg |
| 50 mi | 7,722 kg | 10,244 kg | 2,513 kg | 1,716 kg |
Same factors as above. The bus figure is per passenger.
Frequently asked questions
- How much CO2 does my commute produce?
- Round-trip miles × days a week × commute weeks a year × the factor for your vehicle. 15 miles each way by car is 30 × 5 × 52 × 0.297 = 2,317 kg a year; 3 days a week cuts it to 1,390 kg, and 46 weeks instead of 52, for six weeks away, to 2,049 kg. A 20 km commute by car is 1,919 kg.
- How much CO2 does an electric car commute produce?
- The grid’s kg CO2 per kWh ÷ the car’s miles per kWh: 0.348 ÷ 3.6 = 0.097 kg per mile with the defaults, the US average grid in EPA eGRID 2023 and EPA’s 3.6 miles per kWh. 15 miles each way, 5 days a week, is 754 kg a year. Enter your own grid figure, since regions differ.
- Does taking the bus cut my commute CO2?
- On the national averages, yes: 0.066 kg per passenger-mile for the bus against 0.297 kg per vehicle-mile for a car, 515 kg a year against 2,317 kg for the 15 mile commute. The bus figure assumes average occupancy; a full bus emits less per rider and an empty one more. The table under the result lists every vehicle class for your distance and days: commuter rail 1,037 kg, subway or tram 725 kg, motorcycle 2,870 kg, and van, SUV or pickup 3,073 kg for the same commute.
- How do I use my car’s mpg?
- Choose Gasoline or Diesel and type the mpg. CO2 per mile = 8.887 kg per gallon of gasoline (10.18 for diesel) ÷ mpg. At 40 mpg that is 0.222 kg per mile and 1,733 kg a year for the 15 mile commute. The default 29.9 mpg reproduces the EPA car factor.
- Why do SUVs, vans and pickups give the same answer?
- EPA publishes one light-duty truck factor, 0.394 kg per vehicle-mile, that covers all three: 3,073 kg a year for the 15 mile commute. Enter your mpg with Gasoline or Diesel to tell them apart; the default for them is 22.6 mpg.
- How do I work out a high-mpg car?
- Choose Gasoline and type its rated mpg. At 50 mpg the 15 mile commute, 5 days a week, is 1,386 kg a year against 2,317 kg for the average car. A car that runs partly on grid electricity cannot be split between the two settings in one run; work out each share separately.
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