In this blog post, I take a closer look at the CO2 emissions from a round trip between Copenhagen and Nice, comparing travel by electric car (Audi Q8 e-tron) with two passengers to flying the same route. To make the difference easier to grasp, I compare it to everyday activities in Europe — which shows the real-world impact of our travel choices.
Emissions Summary (Round Trip)
When comparing the CO2 emissions of the two options, the numbers tell an important story. The electric car is a far more eco-friendly alternative, especially when traveling with two people. Here’s the breakdown:
- Electric car (Audi Q8 e-tron, 2 passengers):
A round trip from Copenhagen to Nice covers approximately 2,600 kilometers. The Audi Q8 e-tron consumes around 24.5 kWh per 100 kilometers. Given the average CO2 emissions from electricity production in Europe at 233 grams per kWh, the total emissions per person for the round trip would be 106.25 kg CO2.
Source: Audi specifications and European Environment Agency. - Airplane:
For a typical commercial flight between Copenhagen and Nice, the CO2 emissions per person are approximately 245 kg CO2 one way. For a round trip, this amounts to about 490 kg CO2 per person.
Source: International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT). - Difference:
By driving an electric car instead of flying, you save approximately 383.75 kg CO2 per person for the round trip. With two passengers, the savings double.
What 383.75 kg CO2 Means in Everyday Life
383.75 kg CO2 might sound like just another number, but putting it into the context of everyday activities makes it easier to understand. Here are 10 everyday activities that emit a similar amount of CO2:
- Driving a petrol car
To match the emissions saved, you would have to drive a typical petrol car (emitting around 0.18 kg CO2 per kilometer) for about 2,132 kilometers — almost the distance of a return trip from Copenhagen to Paris.
Source: European Environment Agency. - Household electricity usage
The CO2 savings are roughly the same as the electricity consumption of an average EU household for about 53 days. On average, a household in Europe emits 7.23 kg of CO2 per day from electricity. In other words, the savings from just one trip match almost two months of household electricity!
Source: Eurostat. - Heating with natural gas
Using natural gas to heat your home emits around 2.15 kg of CO2 per cubic meter. The 383.75 kg CO2 saved equals about 178 cubic meters of gas — enough to heat a typical European home for roughly 1.5 months in winter.
Source: European Commission. - Watching TV
Three hours of watching a 42-inch LED TV produces about 0.06 kg of CO2. To reach 383.75 kg CO2, you would need to watch TV for 3 hours a day for around 6,400 days — more than 17 years!
Source: Carbon Trust. - Taking showers
Running a 4 kW water heater for a 10-minute shower produces around 0.26 kg of CO2. You would need to take about 1,476 showers to match the CO2 savings of this trip.
Source: European Commission. - Using a laptop
A laptop emits about 0.02 kg of CO2 per hour of use. To match the savings, you would have to use a laptop for roughly 19,188 hours — about 6.6 years at 8 hours a day.
Source: Energy Saving Trust. - Running a refrigerator
An average refrigerator in Europe uses about 300 kWh per year, resulting in approximately 70 kg of CO2 annually. The 383.75 kg CO2 saved equals about 5.5 years of running your fridge.
Source: European Commission. - Doing laundry
A typical washing machine emits about 0.6 kg of CO2 per load. To match the savings, you’d need to do around 640 loads of laundry — a couple of years’ worth of washing for many families.
Source: European Commission. - Using a dishwasher
A dishwasher emits around 1.25 kg of CO2 per load. You would need to run it 307 times to reach 383.75 kg CO2 — nearly a year of daily dishwashing!
Source: European Commission. - Drinking coffee
Brewing a cup of coffee creates about 0.03 kg of CO2. The emissions saved on this trip are equivalent to about 12,792 cups of coffee. That’s a lot of caffeine!
Source: BBC.
Is Driving an Electric Car Better Than Flying?
These examples show how a single choice — driving an electric car instead of flying — can have a real impact on CO2 emissions. Put into everyday terms, it becomes clear that our travel choices play a major role in fighting climate change.
And the best part? The road trip itself becomes part of the holiday.
