Pollutants from some of the most popular vehicle makes and models have plummeted in the past decade, according to a new report by the B.C. Automobile Association and AirCare.
The two organizations compared the tailpipe emissions of five popular 2008 cars against their 1998 predecessors and found that emissions have fallen between 72% and 97% in the past 10 years.
Emissions from Honda Civics fell the most: 97% to 0.017 grams per kilometre from 0.69 in 2008.
Emissions also fell substantially for the Dodge Caravan (95%) and the fuel-hungry Ford Explorer (93%). Volkswagen Jetta emissions fell 88%; emissions from the Chevy Malibu dropped 72%.
The report's results suggest that auto manufacturers have met government challenges to reduce smog-forming pollutants, but need to develop technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The report noted that, while air pollutants have fallen dramatically, greenhouse gas emissions have not.