| While I agree on not triggering a new build, I still question it: - When buying second-hand, I still use a share of the car lifespan, and it is this lifespan that makes the value of building it in the first place. - I buy it from a person or a system (a leasing company in my last car's case) that periodically orders new cars, so I participate in making their business model possible by providing an output. - Not everyone can live of second hand stuff: since I brought my previous car to its death (near 300.000km), another one has to be created somewhere to allow my next buy. - Up to what mileage and years is it wise to extend the life of an old car when new ones burn less per km? - I also calculated my share of atmospheric CO2 for the life of my previous car (6 liters gasoil per 100km over 250.000+ km), and it is a already a disaster for a single car... That made me consider an electric car (new since they are still very rare second-hand) but only Tesla matches my needs and Tesla does not match my financial reach. Indeed the others are either hybrid-jokes (with 50km full-electric when you have the wind in the back) or city-only electric cars (poor recharge network and only 200km range). My current idea is to reduce kms by adopting more teleworking (thanks Covid to push my employer to consider it) and waiting for a better offer for electric cars (even new). |
Rebuilding a motor or transmission requires less energy and raw materials than making a new one. Replacing a motor or transmission with a new part requires less than making a new car.
But with economies of scale in manufacture, labor costs for repair, plus consumers' perceived need for new vehicles, results in cars being scrapped when they could otherwise be repaired.