The true cost of new cars

[NickMorgan]

I have posted this on a few British forums, but thought that I should canvas opinion in the USA, too.
I have long been an advocate that it is better for the environment to keep old cars on the road rather than to buy a new car every three years. I remember trying to do a study on this when I was at university and finding it particularly difficult to come up with any definite figures for how much energy it takes to build a new car.
Eventually I came up with a figure, taking into account the energy required to extract the resources from the ground, refine them, transport them, make them into components, etc, etc right up to a finished car being delivered to a dealership. Then there were the end of life costs of a vehicle to turn it back into materials that could be re-cycled or just dumped. At the time I came up with a best guess that the energy used during the manufacturing and disposal of a car was the equivalent to driving that car for about 100,000 miles.
I have subsequently seen figures ranging from 36,000 miles to 150,000 miles.
Then there are the environmental costs. The production of CO2, using up natural resources, pollution from extraction of the materials, etc.
Having had various arguments with a colleague who runs new cars, I have now convinced him to run his Seat into the ground! Furthermore, he now wants to persuade the Council, where we work, to retain their vans for five years rather than replace them after three years. However, he can’t find any figures to back up this argument.
Does anyone have any suggestions where we can start to look?

 

[Steve]

Practical Classics magazine did, I believe, carry out such a study or has access to the findings of such. Their figures indicated that an older car, properly maintained and driven indefinitely will not only use less energy than that consumed by the production of a new car (not counting the enery that the new car will then consume!) but also will help to provide more jobs!

They are a good start. If they don't have the data you need they will certainly tell you who does!

 

[bgbassplyr]

I have, for years, driven mine into the ground and then donated them. That way they do some good for others, and the tax deduction is worth more than any trade in value.

 

[NickMorgan]

Thanks Steve. I have also posted on their forum, so will see what comes up.

 

[Deleted member 8987]

You drive your cars into the ground and get rid of them?

Really?

Gawd, don't tell that to my flathads!

40+ years on the 50 Tudor, 21 on the 50 P/U, and 35 years on the Willys.

(BTW, the 50 Tudor has over 500K on it, the Willys has at least that).

 

[Steve_S]

Hi Nick, this is a subject I am very interested in. Please update me with any new information you come across. I have failed to rediscover the article, but I once read that the amount of damage to the environment to manufacture one new car is the same as driving a gross polluter for ten years.

Think of all the resources used and toxic material released into the environment by the manufacturing of plastics, rubber, paint, etc. Also the pollution caused by power plants needed to run manufacturing factories and recycling facilities. And what happens to all the toxic batteries from hybrids, which by the way have a useful life of about five years versus ten to twenty years for a 'normal' vehicle.

There is an article out there that also shows how a Hummer is far better for the environment than a Prius, because it lasts so much longer, versus how much pollution it creates in manufacture and use, as well as resources used. The Prius used far more resources because they don't last very long.

I could go on and on...

 

[bgbassplyr]

You drive your cars into the ground and get rid of them?

Really?

Gawd, don't tell that to my flathads!

40+ years on the 50 Tudor, 21 on the 50 P/U, and 35 years on the Willys.

(BTW, the 50 Tudor has over 500K on it, the Willys has at least that).

Yeah, but we're talkin' '93 Tarus, '90 Tarus, '85 Silverado, none of which could in any way be considered rare or collectable. Now if I had a flathead.....

 

[DrEntropy]

Best kept secret on the planet is the unit cost of production of a new car...

That aside, why would anyone dispose of a vehicle after four years' use?!?

The things in th' sigfile list below aren't "common" cars but it's because I can make 'em run as long as parts can be found. We're in a bit of a niche in that we can make the lumps we chose to own run forever if supplies last. It'd be the same with Yugos, Traubies or Kias... but they're dodo birds. Well not Kias yet.

Try to maintain a 1986 Honda Civic. Forced obsolescence. Unless you have a parts source, ANY car is doomed. Rank and file "drivers" haven't interest or skills to keep 'em rolling, so new cars will sell. Ever more complex and ever less owner friendly to further shut out responsible owners. The new ones gobble up resources in unseen ways. The infrastructure necessary to keep them running goes to driving economy. If ya ain't yer own blacksmith, ya gotta pay someone else to keep th' beast shod.

 

[Steve]

I will have that issue of Practical Classics (I NEVER throw any of the durn things away!) all we need is information regarding when it was published and then permission from the publisher to distribute it.