Carbon footprint of cars in in the UK 2023, by market segment and fuel type

The carbon footprint of cars in the UK varies significantly based on vehicle type and fuel source. In 2024, luxury petrol cars had the highest average emissions of all car types, with almost 320 grams of carbon dioxide equivalent emitted per kilometer (g CO₂e/km). This was more than five times the carbon footprint of luxury battery electric vehicles (BEVs). BEVs produced substantially lower emissions across all vehicle categories in 2024.

Average UK car emissions are falling

The UK has seen some progress in reducing the carbon intensity of new cars. Between 2004 and 2022, the average emissions from new cars in the UK fell by more than 30 percent to 111g CO₂e /km. During this same period, total UK passenger car GHG emissions decreased by 23 percent, to just below 60 MtCO₂e. Nevertheless, passenger cars remain the largest source of emissions in the UK.

Electric vehicle adoption in the UK

There were 315 thousand new battery electric car registrations in the UK in 2023. Battery electric car registrations have increased 20-fold since 2018 and accounted for almost 17 percent of passenger car registrations in 2023. With a much lower carbon footprint than internal-combustion-engine vehicles, the adoption of BEVs and other low-carbon vehicles is a key strategy in the UK’s plan to decarbonize its transportation sector and achieve its climate goals.