By Alimat Aliyeva

Scientists from the University of Turku (Finland) have found that, on average, electric car drivers leave a larger carbon footprint than people who own gasoline or diesel cars, Azernews reports.

The researchers surveyed almost four thousand Finns about their lifestyle, habits, frequency of use of public transport, place of residence and availability of a car to assess the carbon footprint of each volunteer.

The carbon footprint is the sum total of all carbon dioxide emissions produced directly or indirectly as a result of an activity. The ability of carbon dioxide to retain heat increases the average temperature of the Earth's surface, which provokes droughts, fires and other natural disasters.

The results showed that those who owned a car with an internal combustion engine generated an average of 8.05 tons of CO2 or equivalent greenhouse gases per year. Electric car drivers left a slightly larger carbon footprint, producing 8.66 tons of harmful emissions per year.

Researchers have suggested that the larger carbon footprint of electric car owners may be largely due to their more vibrant lifestyle — a love of shopping, travel and entertainment. Scientists have also found that families with electric vehicles tend to have high incomes. For this reason, their total carbon footprint is above average.