Isra-Mart srl : TerraPass carbon calculator reveals indirect emissions from all-electric cars

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Isra-Mart srl news:

TerraPass, a company that funds projects to reduce carbon emissions, unleashed an updated carbon-footprint calculator that includes all-electric vehicle data.

Though electric cars don't directly emit greenhouse gases, some emissions are generated from electricity required to charge the cars' batteries. The updated TerraPass calculator makes it possible to estimate these emissions from driving all-electric cars.

The calculator uses the same miles per gallon-equivalent as the EPA for an input figure in its calculations. Since electric cars don't use gasoline, the amount of energy equivalent to energy stored in one gallon of gasoline is pegged at 33.7 kilowatt-hours. For instance, the EPA rates the all-electric Nissan Leaf at 99 miles per gallon-equivalent.

All-electric vehicle calculations are available through the "alternative fuel" option on the main calculator page. The option also allows users to calculate the footprint of vehicles that use biodiesel, compressed natural gas and ethanol.

To calculate carbon footprints, the user enters miles per gallon, or the gallon-equivalent, from personal experience or from EPA numbers, along with the number of miles they drive each year.

The updated calculator also provides emissions estimates for all 2011-model cars on sale nationwide.

Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20110428/GREEN/110429863#ixzz1LUY1f1Z0