Tailpipe Tally - Car Pollution Database
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada 
on 10. 4.05
We recently found this online tool called Tailpipe Tally, but we forgot where it was that we saw the link (probably Triple Pundit). It was created by Environmental Defense and it is fairly simple to operate: You pick the vehicles that you want to learn more about, and it will create a table with the relevant information so that you can compare. In the first column it gives you the combined EPA fuel economy and the tailpipe emission rating, and in the following 6 columns you get: Estimated yearly fuel consumption, estimated yearly cost (although it is not very realistic - they assume gasoline at less than $2/gallon), carbon dioxide emissions (CO2), carbon monoxide emissions (CO), nitrogen oxides emissions (NOx) and hydrocarbon emissions.
In the example on the index page we can learn that a Toyota Camry will release approximatively 9,500 lbs (4,300 kilograms) of CO2 per year if driven 12,500 miles (20,100 kilometers) while a Toyota Prius will release 4,300 lbs (1900 kilograms) of CO2 per year if driven the same distance. Just make sure to take results with a grain of salt (you can learn about their methodology here). We've seen a few results that seem flat out incorrect, particularly in the last 3 columns. ::Tailpipe Tally
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what an awesome tool! i've never seen it splayed out so clearly, how many lbs of CO2 do u produce a year (well from cars, not includeing diet, exhaling, random consumption...)? I hope everyone reading TH sends this to at least 5 people they know...
The site was neat, they had a "what if" tool, to demonstrate the savings you'd receive had the manufacturer chosen to meet the clean car standards...
That's great and all, but that won't change the fact that my current car consumes double the gas of a prius. Why not provide me with the technologies at a reasonable cost to convert my car from 11.5km/L to something better like 20-50km/L? I'm sure a clever combination of spark plugs and air intake/exhaust would help...
Any suggestions?
Ugh, another USELESS auto tool. Why? They don't included high mileage cars like the VW turbodiesels and other diesels. When will Americans get their heads out of their butts and realize that there are REAL cars that get 50mpg (under REAL world driving conditions), have REAL acceleration, have REAL cargo space, and (guess what) have lower emmissions than comparable gassers except in one category: particulate. Average 30% higher mileage in return for slightly higher particulate? I'll take it. Oh, almost forgot, any of them can run on biodiesel or even straight vegetable oil (new or used).
This is perhaps a little less sophisticated but I came accross it accidently a while back: http://www.fueleconomy.gov
It is quite useful as well.
Christian,
Mechanical modifications are a complex thing and unless you really know what you're doing, I wouldn't recommend it.
The best ways to get better mileage without buying a new car are: Make sure your tires are properly inflated, drive well (coast a lot, light foot, don't let your engine idle too long, follow speed limit, etc), remove unecessary weight from your vehicle (are you carrying a sandbag in the trunk for no reason?), etc.
DD,
If you look at Tailpipe Tally's methodology, they actually use data from fueleconomy.gov
Christian,
as mentioned there isn't much that can be done to modify current engines, but there are some newer types of engines in the works:
StarRotor
http://www.starrotor.com/index.htm
QuasiTurbine:
http://quasiturbine.promci.qc.ca/
Sonex compression:
http://www.gizmag.com/go/4695/
...the major automakers just need to get past the NIH syndrome, and adopt these.
QuasiTurbine: WOW! like www.theAirCar.com but in north america(!!)
Sonex: have been reading up on this a bit-- can help anyone on regular unleaded go veggie-oil. kick as!
thanks for those links Sam! awesome!!
Neat tool!
"like the VW turbodiesels and other diesels...that there are REAL cars that get 50mpg (under REAL world driving conditions), have REAL acceleration, have REAL cargo space, "
VW beetles do not have that much cargo space.
Sure, the beetle is small. The Golf is nice sized. The Jetta sedan is bigger. The Jetta wagon is even bigger. The Passat sedan is bigger still. The Passat wagon is close to huge. The Toureg is giant. Yes, all come in diesel. The Passat gets 40mpg in real world driving. Prius-schmius until they pack a good battery bank and make it a plug-in, stock from the factory.
So again, this tool is totally useless.
Useless? Hardly.
Incomplete, maybe.
I think they didn't put any emphasis on diesel cars because they have a big focus on emissions and diesel are worse than gasoline cars when it comes to that (and low-sulfur diesel isn't yet available everywhere in North-America).
I've consistently gotten 50 mpg in my Prius, in California, where I cannot buy a new VW Diesel due to California's interpretation of the diesel particulate health risk.
If diesel guys were a little more confident they wouldn't fudge the numbers. They'd at least point to the aggregate real-world numbers at:
http://www.greenhybrid.com/compare/mileage/
Anyway, back to the on-line calculator ... I like it, but think it should link to some realtime (or moving average) fuel prices AND it should use the DOE number for average household mileage (22K):
http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/rtecs/contents.html
$3/gal and 22K is a makes the numbers a little scarier.
I go to CHS and we had to use this for an asignment. Kinda kool, although my car isn't the best. but anyhow, we go an asignment with this and i need it. i lost my copy and it is due today. so if anyone is reading this please like post a copy of it or somthin