How Can I Calculate my Vehicle’s Air Pollution Score?

Up until recently, car owners were more concerned with image and performance than the energy-efficiency or environmental-friendliness of their vehicle. However, growing concerns over the long-term effects of climate change, coupled with tougher legislation from the EU, has led to a gradual but significant shift in attitudes.

These days, it’s just as important the amount of pollutants your car emits as what it looks like and how fast it can go. Of course, fuel efficiency has always been a cause for concern for prospective buyers, since this ultimately leads to less money expended on fuel. However, with fossil fuel reserves depleting rapidly and those which are being used contributing to climate change, fuel efficiency takes on a deeper meaning with regards to the Earth’s atmosphere and the carbon footprint we all leave behind on our planet. Improving air quality (and reducing transport-related pollution in the process) is a paramount concern – because of this, it is important to know how different vehicles measure up in terms of their emissions and green performance.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has compiled a handy guide which includes all of the major factors that contribute to a car’s environmental performance, called a vehicle air pollution score. Though this standard is not widely used in Europe and the UK, it’s useful to review models which are sold over here on the American website, to glean valuable information about the environmental standards of different motors.

What Constitutes an Air Pollution Score?

In order to determine the environmental performance of any given car, its exhaust fumes must be checked for the percentage of contaminants in their composition. The primary pollutants which give an indication of a vehicle’s air quality score include:

• Carbon Monoxide (CO). This harmful gas can be deadly if inhaled in large or prolonged quantities.
• Nitrogen Oxide (N20). When it comes into contact with naturally-occurring hydrocarbons in the atmosphere, N20 can create smog clouds.
• Particulate Matter 2.5 (PM2.5). These tiny molecules are no bigger than 2.5 micrometres in diameter. As such, they are easily inhaled and absorbed into the bloodstream and can cause grave health problems.
• Carbon Dioxide (CO2). This notorious greenhouse gas is responsible for trapping heat in the Earth’s atmosphere and is one of the primary contributing factors to global warming.
• Formaldehyde (HCHO). This highly toxic and volatile compound is a known carcinogenic.
• Non-methane Hydrocarbons (NMHC), Non-methane Organic Gases (NMOG) and Total Hydrocarbons (THC). All of these compounds are carbon-containing and therefore can contribute to global warming.

How to Find Out Your Vehicle’s Air Pollution Score

You can check to see if your vehicle is included in this comprehensive list on the EPA website, which offers helpful information about automobile performance in all of the above categories. Similarly, the website fueleconomy.gov is a great resource for learning which cars offer better mileage, allowing you to save the environment and your bank balance in one fell swoop.

However, if you really want a detailed breakdown of your car’s environmental capabilities, a quick visit to your local mechanic should shed light on the subject. Because a car’s performance can drop over the years due to wear and tear, it might be an idea to have a professional give you a second opinion if you are in any doubt as to the environmentally-friendliness of your vehicle.