I can sell my current vehicle for $
and purchase a more fuel efficient one for $
.
My new vehicle will get
miles per gallon. My old vehicle gets miles per gallon. I will drive
miles per year.
Assumptions
Price of gasoline: $
per gallon.
Well-to-pump emissions of transportation fuels are 20% of fossil fuel emissions. This includes emissions from the fuel used to find, extract, transport and refine crude oil into gasoline.
Greenhouse gas emissions from vehicle manufacturing = (8 metric tons per vehicle / 150,000 miles lifespan) =53 grams CO2 per mile.
Emissions from road construction and maintenance, and other government-related emissions, are not included in this calculation.
More Information/Resources
Consider the lifetime cost of ownership for your next vehicle including fuel cost, insurance and rebates that are frequently available for more fuel efficient models. From this perspective, "green" cars that get better gas mileage also leave a lot more "green" in your wallet in the long run.