So, you want to do something good for the environment. Should you replace your old car with a fuel efficient model or keep it because you know it takes a lot of energy to produce a new car? A clear answer to this question has been elusive.
Several studies show that—across a range of car sizes—producing a new car consumes the equivalent of about one year of its gasoline use. So, if you kept your new car for two years, you’d need to get twice the gasoline mileage in the new car to pay back the environmental cost of replacing the old one. Seldom is mileage improvement that large, so the benefits of a new car normally require that you keep it nearly 5 years.
It’s not surprising, then, that a new study from Japanese economists found that the big environmental benefits of a new car are associated only with hybrid cars, which get much higher gas mileage. If you simply buy a new standard gasoline-powered car, it is not likely to produce much environmental benefit. The greatest benefits would be seen by replacing a large, older model gas guzzler, with a small, efficient hybrid.
Overall, these analysts found that government policies aimed to encourage the replacement of the vehicle fleet are a costly and ineffective way to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere. In many cases, you’d probably be better off driving your old clunker a few more years.
But, when you do think of a replacement, choose a model that really makes a difference.
**********
.
Web Links
For more information, please consult: Kagawa et al. (2013). Better cars or older cars? Global Environmental Change
Photo, taken on January 1, 2013, courtesy of Faruk Ates via Flickr.
XXXXXXXX