Global concerns about climate change have been getting much more severe every year. People have actually been concerned about the environment for decades now. Still, it seems as if those concerns are much more prevalent these days, especially in 2020. 

This concern about global climate change has even affected how consumers choose what products they buy and also consume every day. It's not just straws and plastic bags that people are thinking twice about buying. Their concerns even affect the cars that they choose to buy.

These days, an increasing number of people prefer to buy cars that have lower emissions. Some parts of the world like the European Union and American states like California are renowned for tailoring their own strict emission standards for cars that are sold there. Those standards can be very complex and might be a little overwhelming for regular car owners. After all, it's the manufacturers who have to ensure that the cars they make comply with those rules.

In this article, we're going to discuss the basics of motor vehicle emissions. Hopefully, by the end of it, you'll be able to understand what your car emits and why it matters to the environment. There will even be a few tips on how to reduce your emissions, as well!

Generally speaking, a car's emissions, that is what's coming out of its exhaust, can be broken down into two categories: greenhouse gasses and air pollutants. While they're both not good, each of them has different effects on the environment.

Greenhouse Gasses

Greenhouse gasses are generated from the combustion process that takes place in the engine. Some of these gasses actually have a minimal impact on human health. However, they can be very damaging to the environment and therefore contribute to global climate change.

When it comes to motor vehicles, the main greenhouse gas that's emitted is mostly carbon dioxide. Aside from that, methane and nitrous oxide also come out of your car's exhaust.

Air Pollutants

Motor vehicles with combustion engines also produce lots of air pollutants. These include carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and even microscopic air particles.

Carbon monoxide can be very hazardous to human beings. This gas is generated by incomplete combustion inside the car's engine. The good news is that modern vehicles are much more efficient when it comes to the combustion process, so there is less carbon monoxide produced. This is not true for older cars, especially ones with lots of wear on their engines.

There are three nitrogen oxides in car emissions: nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and nitrous oxide (N20). They might all sound similar, but the truth is that each causes different effects. Together, they can be damaging to human health as well as the environment.

Air particles can also be very damaging to human health. They stay suspended in the exhaust smoke that the car pushes out. As it floats around in the air, people may end up breathing those particles into their lungs. 

How To Reduce Your Car's Emissions

Newer cars are already much more environmentally-friendly than their predecessors. But is there anything that you can do to reduce your own emissions even more?

The answer is YES! 

Being an environmentally-friendly driver isn't just good for the environment, it also makes your car more efficient and saves you money! Here are a few things you can do to reduce your car's emissions:

Keep your car well-serviced

It's essential to stick to your car's service schedule. When you take your vehicle into the workshop for its periodic servicing, what they usually do is change the car's oils, clean or replace the filters. In some cases, they even fix brand new spark plugs.

When all of these things are done, it keeps your vehicle operating in tip-top shape. Combustion is happening in your engine as efficiently as it should, and everything else in your car is running optimally. This keeps your car's emissions as low as possible.

In comparison, a car that's not regularly maintained will be blowing out more smoke and other nasty things out its exhaust.

Don't Idle

Idling means to leave your car running even though it's not moving. This happens when you're waiting in a traffic jam, or even if you're parked somewhere waiting to pick someone up.

Recent car models can automatically start and stop its engine to avoid idling. If your car doesn't have that ability, then perhaps you can shut your engine off for a while as you wait in your vehicle. Alternatively, you could park your car and wait indoors. 

When you don't idle your car, you also avoid emitting greenhouse gasses and air particulates unnecessarily!

Check Your Tyres

Tyres are often overlooked. Over time, tires may become slightly deflated, which means the car needs to produce more energy to move it forward. This reduces your fuel efficiency, resulting in an increase in emissions.

Be sure to check your tires and fill them up appropriately. While you're doing that, inspect your tires and replace them if necessary.

Use Better Fuel

In Malaysia, we usually have premium fuels on offer like the RON 97 petrol and Euro 5 diesel. Premium fuels like these cost more than regular fuels, but do they really make a difference? Depending on the vehicle that you drive, they just might.

Check on any car forum, and you'll see people debating the finer points of premium fuels endlessly. One side of the debate claims that premium fuels make cars more efficient, burning cleaner and therefore resulting in fewer emissions. The other side argues that this is untrue and that cars using premium fuels perform no different than those using regular ones. This article doesn't pick a side in this debate. Instead, what we recommend is to try it out yourself and see if your car performs any differently.

As governments become more and more environmentally conscious themselves, carmakers will keep getting higher emissions standards to follow. What this means for car owners is that as newer car models are produced, they will slowly but surely become more and more efficient and better for the environment. In the meantime, though, you can reduce your emissions by keeping your car as efficient as it can be. Alternatively, you can also try using other options like public transportation or carpooling with friends to work.