One Comment to “How green ARE new cars?”

1. Ling Valentine Says:
   April 24th, 2009 at 11:53 am

   Right, so all we need to know from Ford is how much CO2 is created in the full-cycle process of building and distributing a new car like the Fiesta.

   I sell new cars on lease, and am happy to do so. However, I have a Master Degree in Environmental Quality and feel that until the CO2 cost of building a new car is declared in full, it is disingenuous to claim that it’s greener to scrap a car just to replace it with a (less CO2 emitting) new car based on the criteria that less CO2 comes from the exhaust-pipe of the new car, alone.

   Fair enough if the older car is unroadworthy or breaks emission laws. Otherwise it is a perfectly fine vehicle.

   I think it is very lazy journalism simply to repeat manufacturer dumbed-down claims without looking at transparent whole-life costs. This article does NOT “prove it”. Ford (and others) must know the CO2 overhead of building a new car - and I mean everything - they are just not telling us. It is this lack of transparency that makes me very cynical.

   They are also comparing a diesel car to an older petrol car (in all 3 examples above), not entirely the same thing. Why not compare with a 1996 diesel model, or compare the old petrol car with a current petrol model? Answer: because the figures will not be as attractive.

   In effect, Ford are now saying (if technological advances continue), that their cars have a life-cycle of just 12-years, as they advocate scrapping a 12-year old Fiesta, Focus or Mondeo to “save” CO2. In 12 years we presume they will say the same thing about the current cars promoted above. This argument will stun many used-car dealers who rely on this older vehicle parc to make a living (plus stun the motorists who choose to drive an older car).

   Therefore, the new car’s environmental production costs must be judged against a shorter life-span than most older cars were expected to achieve… most 12-year old Fiestas are still giving reasonable service.

   For a manufacturer to suggest their cars only have a service life of 12-years is astounding! Which one mentions this when they market new cars? They give the impression that the quality and reliability means their cars will go on far longer than this artificial limit.

   Further, if this is the case, why not introduce draconian MOT laws which almost “force” these “terrible” 12-year old cars off the road. They should stop supporting older cars. Yet, you will find the dealers are happy to continue servicing and supplying parts for older vehicles. Ford cannot have it both ways. Either their cars are 12-years and out, or they are reliable cars which go on far longer.

   These older cars are already built, you cannot put all that CO2 overhead back in a box. However, you CAN save future CO2 by keeping the older car on the road for a few more years before replacing it.

   Which is it? Are Ford cars now 12-year disposable items? Let’s have whole-life CO2 costs declared.

   Ling Valentine

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