Hagerty introduces tree-planting carbon offsets for classic car owners

Hagerty, the collector vehicle insurance company, has announced a new program called ECO: Enthusiast Carbon Offset. Yes, it’s starting a program to help collector car owners, and really anyone, plant trees to make up for carbon emissions from driving. And we say anyone, because it’s not exclusive to Hagerty customers or even collector car owners.

The program is quite simple. The company teamed up with Chrome Carbon, which helps facilitate tree planting by all kinds of organizations local, regional and national in an effort to offset carbon emissions. Anyone interested can go to the website, which has a calculator. Put in your type of vehicle, the estimated miles of driving done, and it will tell you about how much carbon has been emitted and how many trees will need to be planted.

The calculator is free to use, but actually offsetting those emissions with tree planting costs money. You’ll see the estimate well before needing to input any payment. Hagerty noted that there are no fees to it for using the program, it all goes to Chrome Carbon for work related to planting trees and offsetting emissions.

The cost doesn’t seem too bad, either. Hagerty says that the average classic car insured with them drives just over 2,000 miles a year. According to the calculator, one with fuel efficiency of 15 mpg would emit nearly 2,600 pounds of carbon dioxide, and the program estimates that 50 trees planted would offset that at a cost of just over $60. So basically, the price of a tank or two of gas.

Hagerty itself has started paying to cover the emissions of its own classic car fleet and driving events, including last year’s California Mille and Greenwich Concours Driving Tour. And the program is entirely optional for existing Hagerty customers.

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