E-Bike vs Car Emissions Calculator
Compare the climate impact of your daily commute
Daily trips to work, school, or errands might feel small, but over a year they add up to a major share of personal transport emissions. Cars burn fuel every mile, while e-bikes use a relatively tiny amount of electricity. For many short and medium-length commutes, switching part or all of your driving to an e-bike can cut your carbon footprint dramatically.
This calculator estimates how much carbon dioxide (CO₂) you emit when driving versus riding an e-bike for the same commute, and how many pounds of CO₂ you could avoid each year by making the switch.
How the calculator works
The tool compares annual emissions from two scenarios:
- Driving your usual route in a car.
- Riding an e-bike for the same round-trip distance.
You enter:
- Daily round-trip distance in miles (there and back).
- Car emissions rate in pounds of CO₂ per mile.
- E-bike energy use in watt-hours (Wh) per mile.
- Electricity emissions rate in pounds of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour (kWh).
- Commute days per year (how often you make this trip).
With those inputs, the calculator estimates total yearly emissions for each mode and the difference between them.
Formulas used for car and e-bike emissions
The core logic is straightforward. We treat your inputs as averages over the year.
Car emissions
Annual car emissions are computed as:
where:
- = daily round-trip distance (miles)
- = car emissions rate (lbs CO₂ per mile)
- = commute days per year
The result is your annual car emissions in pounds of CO₂.
E-bike emissions
For the e-bike, we convert watt-hours to kilowatt-hours and then apply the grid emissions rate:
where:
- = e-bike energy use (Wh per mile)
- = electricity emissions (lbs CO₂ per kWh)
Dividing by 1000 turns watt-hours into kilowatt-hours. The result is your annual e-bike charging emissions.
Worked example: typical city commute
Imagine you travel 10 miles per day (round trip), 240 days a year.
Car scenario
Suppose your car emits 0.89 lbs CO₂ per mile (roughly a mid-efficiency gasoline car). Then:
Annual car emissions = 10 × 0.89 × 240 = 2,136 lbs CO₂
E-bike scenario
Assume your e-bike uses 20 Wh per mile, and your electricity has an emissions factor of 0.95 lbs CO₂ per kWh. Then:
First, total annual energy use in Wh:
10 miles/day × 20 Wh/mile × 240 days = 48,000 Wh
Convert to kWh:
48,000 Wh ÷ 1000 = 48 kWh
Apply the grid emissions rate:
48 kWh × 0.95 lbs CO₂/kWh = 45.6 lbs CO₂ per year
Annual savings
Avoided emissions = 2,136 – 45.6 ≈ 2,090 lbs CO₂ per year.
That is roughly a one-ton reduction in CO₂ from one commuting choice alone.
At-a-glance comparison
The exact numbers on your screen will match your own inputs, but the pattern usually looks similar to the example above.
| Aspect | Car commute (example) | E-bike commute (example) |
|---|---|---|
| Annual distance | 10 miles/day × 240 days = 2,400 miles | Same 2,400 miles |
| Energy or fuel use | Gasoline burned each mile | ~48 kWh of electricity per year |
| Annual CO₂ emissions | 2,136 lbs CO₂ | 45.6 lbs CO₂ |
| Emissions per commute day | ≈ 8.9 lbs CO₂ | ≈ 0.19 lbs CO₂ |
| Percent reduction | ≈ 98% lower emissions with the e-bike | |
When you use the calculator, you can treat its output similarly: compare total annual emissions, emissions per day, and the percentage drop when switching modes.
How to interpret your results
The results typically show three key values:
- Annual car emissions: your CO₂ output if you drive this commute every time.
- Annual e-bike emissions: the CO₂ from generating the electricity to charge your e-bike.
- Annual savings: how many pounds of CO₂ you avoid by choosing the e-bike instead of the car.
You can use these numbers to explore different scenarios:
- Change commute days per year to see how part-time e-bike use (e.g., only in summer) affects your footprint.
- Adjust the grid emissions rate to reflect a cleaner or dirtier electricity mix, or to see the impact of charging from renewable energy.
- Vary the car emissions rate to compare a less efficient SUV with a more efficient hybrid or compact car.
The larger the gap between car and e-bike emissions, the more climate benefit you gain from riding.
How electricity source and efficiency affect results
Two inputs strongly shape your e-bike emissions:
- E-bike energy use (Wh/mile): Heavier bikes, high assistance modes, hills, and frequent stops all increase energy use. Efficient e-bikes on flat routes may use 10–20 Wh/mile, while more demanding rides might reach 30–40 Wh/mile.
- Electricity emissions (lbs CO₂/kWh): Regions with mostly renewable or nuclear power have lower emissions factors than grids relying heavily on coal or natural gas.
Even on relatively carbon-intensive grids, e-bikes are usually far cleaner than gasoline cars on a per-mile basis. On low-carbon grids, emissions from e-bike charging become very small compared to driving.
Assumptions and limitations
This calculator is designed to give a clear, comparable snapshot of commute-related emissions, not a full life-cycle analysis. It relies on several simplifying assumptions:
- Operational emissions only: It includes emissions from burning fuel in the car and generating electricity for the e-bike. It does not include manufacturing, shipping, maintenance, or end-of-life impacts for vehicles or batteries.
- Average, constant values: It assumes your distance, vehicle efficiency, and grid emissions rate stay constant throughout the year.
- Single commute pattern: Only the commute you describe is counted. Other trips (errands, leisure, holidays) are not included.
- User-supplied inputs: Results are only as accurate as the numbers you enter. Real-world driving conditions, traffic, and riding style can all shift actual emissions.
For most people, these simplifications are sufficient to understand the scale of potential savings and compare options in a consistent way.
Beyond emissions: other reasons people switch to e-bikes
While this tool focuses on CO₂, many riders also consider:
- Health benefits: Regular e-bike use adds light-to-moderate physical activity to your day.
- Cost savings: Electricity for charging is typically far cheaper than gasoline, and maintenance costs are often lower.
- Time and convenience: In congested city traffic, e-bikes can be as fast or faster door to door, especially when parking is scarce.
You can pair this emissions calculator with cost or time comparisons to get a more complete picture of how an e-bike might fit into your daily life.