What produces carbon monoxide?

The production of carbon monoxide is primarily associated with the combustion of fossil fuels, which occurs in all internal combustion engines. These engines burn gasoline, diesel, or other hydrocarbons to power vehicles, generating various byproducts, one of which is carbon monoxide. This colorless, odorless gas is produced when the carbon in the fuel does not combust completely due to insufficient oxygen.

Electric engines, solar panels, and nuclear reactors operate on different principles that do not involve burning fuel for energy in the same way internal combustion engines do. For instance, electric engines draw power from batteries or the grid, solar panels convert sunlight directly into electricity through photovoltaic cells, and nuclear reactors generate heat through nuclear fission without combustion. Therefore, these options do not produce carbon monoxide, which reinforces that all internal combustion engines are the source of this harmful gas.