New cars bought last year could release 3.4mil tonnes of CO₂ annually, study finds

RimbaWatch warns that EVs are only greener in a renewables-heavy grid and calls for transport reforms.

In its report “The Contribution of Malaysia’s Automotive Sector to Climate Change”, RimbaWatch analysed government vehicle registration data showing that 825,514 petrol and diesel cars were registered in 2025.

The estimate was based on the average fuel consumption and manufacturing emissions of the 10 most popular car models, including the Perodua Bezza, Myvi, Proton Saga, Toyota Vios and Honda City.

RimbaWatch found that these vehicles would consume 24.65 billion litres of petrol over their lifespan, producing 60 million tonnes of CO₂ across an average lifespan of 17.59 years.

“Roughly 6% were production-related emissions, and the remaining 94% were fossil-fuel related emissions from petrol consumption,” the group said in the report.

The group added that 3.37 million tonnes of CO₂ annually is comparable to the 2024 emissions of Lesotho, a country in Southern Africa which recorded 3.05 million tonnes.

EVs not automatically cleaner in Peninsular Malaysia

The analysis also compared emissions if the same number of vehicles were electric.

RimbaWatch said EVs in Peninsular Malaysia could emit 3.66 million tonnes of CO₂ annually, slightly higher than petrol cars, due to the region’s fossil fuel-heavy electricity grid.

In SarawaK, EVs are estimated to emit 68g of CO₂ per km, significantly less than the 166g per km emitted by petrol vehicles.

“The reason for this stark difference is that Peninsular Malaysia’s grid is highly reliant on fossil fuels, accounting for more than 80% of installed energy capacity, compared to Sarawak’s grid where renewables are more than 60% of current installed capacity,” the group said.

Calls for stronger public transport and policy reforms

RimbaWatch director Adam Farhan said in a statement that Malaysia’s reliance on private vehicles was a major contributor to emissions and urged the government to prioritise public transport.

He also called for the Climate Change Act to include transport emission targets and road tax reforms based on lifecycle emissions rather than engine size.

“Malaysia commits to a just and rapid fossil fuel phaseout, and joins other Global South energy players in calling for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, which will establish a global framework for an equitable energy transition,” Adam said.