How Much Greenhouse Gas Emissions (CO2) Do Motorcycles Emit Compared to Cars and Trucks?
The following chart shows the amount of greenhouse gas emissions per passenger mile traveled (PMT) for seven classes of vehicles including sedans, SUVs, pickup trucks, diesel buses, and motorcycles (2-cyl, 4-cyl, and sport bikes). Lifecycle GHG Emissions by Vehicle Class Adapted From: UC Berkeley Center for Future of Urban Transport Report: Life-cycle Energy and Emissions Inventories for Motorcycles, Diesel Automobiles, School Buses, Electric Buses, Chicago Rail, and New York City Rail Federal regulations help to control motorcycle emissions, but the regulations don’t do enough to make them emissions competitive with a hybrid car, which, if it were represented in this chart above, would easily prevail as the most efficient vehicle per PMT. Looking up the exact amount of emissions that are generated from a specific model of motorcycle is quite difficult because manufacturers aren’t required to test and register the fuel economy with the Environmental Protection Agency. Auto manufactures
