Environmental Transport Association blasts proposed car scrapping scheme in UK
The Environmental Transport Association in the United Kingdom is not pleased with the government's plan to launch a so-called Cash for Clunkers program. Automakers are generally fond of the proposals that would pay new car purchasers £2,000 for trading in their old rides for new cars. The stated goal is to get older, dirtier and less fuel efficient machines off the road in favor of models with the latest emissions controls.Critics like the ETA point out that a great deal of energy is used in the creation of automobiles, so it's advising people to hold on to their current rides for as long as possible. According to ETA Director Andrew Davis, "Altering the way you drive and keeping a car longer can be a greener option than buying new. Even if the new model you buy is more economical, once you take into account the energy needed to scrap the old car and build an entirely new one the overall benefits are likely to be tiny."
You could argue that this line of reasoning overlooks the fact that global auto sales are extremely low compared to the levels of the last few years, which is leading to a steadily aging fleet of vehicles. This being the case, there are sure to be a number of older vehicles on the roadways that will need replacement within the next few years anyway. Of course, whether or not the government should subsidize their replacement is another issue entirely.
[Source: Channel 4]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Nick 9:30PM (4/18/2009)
It takes about 10kw of electrical energy to crush a gutted car, nowhere near what the car burns over its lifetime.
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brian 1:57PM (4/19/2009)
10kw is not a quantity of electricity.
More importantly the energy used to recycle a car is a tiny part of the big picture here.
solrak 9:23AM (4/19/2009)
Offtopic, ETA it´s the name of the BASQUE COUNTRY terrorist group who killed more than 1.000 people in Spain the last 30 years. It´s like name´s ALQUAEDA the new Toyota hybrid car.
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Swede 3:51PM (4/19/2009)
To criticize a english company for having the same abbreviation as a spanish militant group is very far fetched. You have a big problem with KKK turbochargers too?
Carlos 10:14AM (4/20/2009)
JAjajaja, but is not a critic, it´s only a coment, "be water my friend" and relax.
Damian 9:42PM (4/18/2009)
How many kw to build a car from scratch?
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Tohe 11:21PM (4/18/2009)
Regulating models cycles would greatly help. People will always want to be in with the new, no matter what.
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BlackbirdHighway 4:54AM (4/19/2009)
The amount of a cars lifetime energy usage that goes into building and recycling it varies according to the particular model and how many miles it's driven, but many studies put the figure at 5 to 15%.
One study said it was more like 75%, but they never published the methodology that they used to come up with that. That was also the study that claimed the Prius was less efficient than the Hummer, so it may be that number was only used because it supported their desired conclusion. Regardless, anyone who has an agenda will use that number anytime it's convenient as evidence that their point of view is the right one.
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Throwback 9:21AM (4/19/2009)
"Altering the way you drive and keeping a car longer can be a greener option than buying new."
No doubt, but the aim of these schemes is to stimulate the economy not be green.
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mdf 10:39AM (4/19/2009)
"the aim of these schemes is to stimulate the economy not be green."
The ETA is a roadside repair/rescue company: keeping junk on the road is fully consistent with maximizing their revenue. New cars -- especially new electric cars -- are simply inconsistent with their business model.