Analysis of Relationship between AQI Measurement and Car Sales Growth Rate

Abstract

The development of industry has had a great impact on the natural environment, especially on air, which is important for human survival. The introduction of carbon neutral policies in recent years has shown that mankind is taking air quality seriously again. So far, because transportation has benefited greatly from the upgrade of the industrial revolution, cars are often considered the primary source of emissions. Therefore, this paper focuses on the relationship between the outcome growth rate of car sales and three factors in Air Quality Index (AQI) measurement, ground-level ozone, average annual PM2.5 level and AQI scores of nitrogen dioxide in seven major regions/countries. First, data are visualized to observe the potential patterns between these three factors affecting air quality and the growth rate of car sales. Then, using statistical regression, the separate relationship between them was modeled and the estimates of parameters in the model were calculated through the computer software. Finally, the model is evaluated by analyzing the statistical significance of these parameters and utilizing the model selection criteria for the proposed models.  As a result, a simple linear relationship is found between ground-level ozone concentration and car sales growth rate. An approximately cubic function could be simulated the correlation between the PM2.5 level and the negative car sales growth rate, while the regions/countries with positive car sales growth rate remain undetermined with the given data. Besides, scores of nitrogen dioxide may have no obvious pattern with respect to car sales growth rate in those regions/countries.