Emisiones de CO2 en exceso por consumo de combustible en vehículos ligeros

Abstract

The use of motor vehicles offers benefits to society in economic and mobility terms, but the emissions produced from the burning of their fuels represent today a global problem derived from greenhouse gases. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is among the gases that are of greatest concern in terms of the environment. In this work, the excess carbon dioxide emissions produced by light vehicles when circulating in mechanical conditions and driving habits different from those recommended by Comisión Nacional para el Uso Eficiente de la Energía were calculated. A quantitative method with a non-experimental descriptive design, non-probabilistic sampling and cross-sectional data collection was considered. Emission factors and calculation bases from the Portal Eco-vehículos were used. The data collection of 169 drivers with vehicles of different brands was achieved, which were verified according to the information of the aforementioned Portal. The data was processed with Excel® software. Total emissions and their respective indicators were quantified. The study was limited by available technical information about fuel efficiency of pre-2008 model year vehicles, so the sample was adjusted for available models. Research creates value by providing and applying a specific methodology for quantification emissions in both small and massive vehicle fleets. It was determined that each vehicle emits an excess of 468.17 kilograms of carbon dioxide per 15000 km, which is equivalent to 200.79 liters of gasoline. Poor tuning is the most frequent cause for mechanical conditions, while the vehicle´s idling warm-up time for driving habits, with values of 72.2 % and 87 % of cases, respectively.