Environmental Trends 2002


Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Vehicle Sales in British Columbia

vehicle sales in british columbia

SOURCE: Statistics Canada CANISM II 2002.

Number of vehicles sold in British Columbia

  • An increase in the GHG emissions from the transportation sector is due to more vehicles on the road, an increase in the number of less fuel-efficient vehicles and to vehicles being driven longer distances.

  • Although the total number of vehicles sold in 2000 was only 7% higher than in 1990, proportionately more (an increase of 36%) were in the commercial category, which includes light trucks, sports utility vehicles (SUVs) and minivans.

  • A small car uses 38% less gas per kilometre of city driving and 40% less gas on the highway than an SUV. This means that a small car emits 36% less greenhouse gases than an SUV.

  • Driving a fuel efficient vehicle doesn’t just benefit the environment: a driver of a small car can expect to spend 42% less on fuel than an owner of an SUV.

For detailed information, including graph data, see In-Depth report [pdf].

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