The materials that make up a vehicle are produced from natural resources taken from the earth, such as iron ore, coal, and crude oil. Extraction and processing of these materials can destroy natural habitats and pollute land, air, and water. Lighter vehicles require less material, potentially reducing the impacts from this stage. In the aggregate, the environmental impacts of pre-assembly manufacturing exceed assembly operations. Product design and automotive company purchasing practices often determine the impacts of these operations.
Assembly plants are the final and most visible step of the manufacturing process.
Air emissions from individual plants are very substantial, especially due to painting operations. Communities hosting plants can learn how to identify and propose pollution prevention solutions through this Community Guide to Vehicle Assembly. This section has environmental performance and demographic information for each facility in the country. It also includes a ranking of U.S. vehicle assembly plants based on their pollution prevention performance. Driving is probably your most polluting daily activity.