Future, a fintech company, is collaborating with Volkswagen of America to provide consumers with a free calculator to measure the carbon impact of driving. Future’s Electric Vehicle Calculator, found at vw.com, can assess how many tons of carbon emissions drivers will save when making the switch from driving a gas-powered car to the all-electric Volkswagen ID.4 SUV. The companies say the impact of switching to electric is a personalized estimate for each buyer.
Those curious to understand their personal impact can enter their license plate into the calculator, and Future produces a customized impact report within seconds. In addition to calculating carbon emissions, the results will factor in how dirty – or clean – the electricity is in the state where the car will be charged. A typical gas-powered car in the U.S. emits about 4.6 tons of carbon dioxide per year, which is the equivalent of the weight of one elephant. By making the switch to electric, drivers can often save three tons or more of CO₂ a year. That climate impact is roughly equivalent to planting a forest of 500 trees.