Replacing everything old with a new green product will make consumers itchy and feel like they are doing something good for the environment. But “exchange” is not one of the 3rs of environmentalism. It’s usually when you’re trying to reduce, reuse, and recycle parts of the equation. It’s fine for items like clothing, but the equation of items that continue to contaminate with each use, like a car, becomes more complicated. Fortunately, math is not that difficult and there are many options for disposing of old vehicles when it’s time to go for electricity.
Implemented carbon and carbon dioxide emissions
When people decide to buy a new car to be more efficient, they think about them Carbon dioxide emissions. Carbon dioxide emissions are a simple way to describe the environmental impact of activities. It is usually based on the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced by the activity and is measured in CO2-EQ. New cars driving new cars have lower carbon emissions than driving older cars because new cars are more expensive Emission Standardsusually more Fuel efficiency (The Trump administration has announced a rollback of fuel efficiency standards, a process that likely requires the Supreme Court to be involved.) Leak oil or other contaminants.
But before the new vehicle drives its first mile, it already creates significant environmental impacts. Manufacturing a new car requires a lot of energy, uses a lot of materials, and often creates a significant amount of waste and contamination. All carbon footprints that precede the use of the vehicle are Essentialized carbon (or sometimes embodied energy). Materials production It accounts for approximately 20% of the lifecycle emissions of fossil fuel vehicles. It’s close to 40% for electric vehicles.
I’m doing mathematics
Whether or not it makes sense to upgrade depends heavily on what you drive now and how efficient your new vehicle will be. It also depends on the power supply. EVs run entirely with coal-powered electricity do not reduce emissions as much as those driven by renewable energy. Replace the 3-year-old Honda Civic with a new one GMC Hummer EVCarrying heavy embodied carbon costs due to weights that reduce the efficiency of electric motors does not actually benefit the environment.
In 2021, Reuters decided to apply the Argonne National Laboratory model That point EVs are cleaner than comparable gasoline vehicles in terms of lifetime carbon footprint. For medium-sized vehicles, they decided on a destructive point at 13,500 miles. A 2022 survey also found that most EVs offset emissions from production Up to 19,000 Miles. These studies compare new vehicles. “Paying” the carbon debt of a new EV takes time compared to a used car.
Ars Technica Comparing the impact of a 2010 combustion engine car using a new EV with the impact of purchasing a new EV, we concluded that the environmental impact of EVs coincides with the impact of an older car two years later. Over two years, the EVs are improving over the older cars.
You can do the same calculations to estimate the emissions of your situation.
- Search or calculate the current vehicle’s fuel economy.
- Estimate the number of miles you drive in a year.
- Multiply 8,887 grams of CO2 by the number of gallons of fuel burned in a year.
- I’ll look into Estimates of EPA Emissions We are considering EVs.
- Multiply the results by the mileage of the year.
- Find data on the embodied carbon of the EV you are considering. If not found, use a coalition of CO2 estimated by scientists of concern estimates of 12,000 pounds.
- Add the values from steps 5 and 6 to calculate the EV’s first year emissions. Compare this with the current car step 3 value.
- Continue adding the values of steps 3 and 5 to each vehicle until the EV results are below the current vehicle results. This is the number of years when the footprint of an older car exceeds the footprint of a newer EV.
Remove your old car
Whether it makes sense to upgrade now or not, you will ultimately need to remove your old car. If you are simply upgrading, trading or selling, it’s an obvious choice. Someone there can help replace the old Gusler with a relatively efficient car.
But if your car is a gazler, or if it gives up on the ghost completely, how would you dispose of it? you could Donate to a charity. Some charities repair driveable vehicles and give them to people in need. Others tow vehicles that are not usable to strip for parts that are available for sale. Make sure you find out what happens to your vehicle and how your charity will dispose of unusable parts before you donate.
By weightThe vehicle is made of about 75% metal, both iron and non-ferrous, and can be recycled. The remaining 25% includes liquids such as tires (the challenge to recycling), used oil, antifreeze, lubricants, and gasoline or diesel. These other materials include glass, plastic, cloth, rubber and electronic components. Many of these materials are recyclable. Others are toxic and should be treated with caution. Some materials are toxic and recyclable. Responsible recycling is required to destroy a car. Salvage yards are important for recycling each of the materials contained in cars. However, they are also sources of contamination and can put the health of nearby communities at risk without proper maintenance and regulation. Many responsible rescue yards require the removal and disposal of car fluid before accepting junk vehicles. You can find charities and recyclers using Earth911’s recycling directory.
If you want to buy
Consider buying a more efficient used car. Used cars that offer better mileage than your older car are a step in the right direction without generating additional embodied carbon costs. Also, consider carefully whether you actually need a pickup or an SUV. EV efficiency. Whatever the size of the vehicle you decide on, it’s always It’s best to choose Electric version.
If you don’t choose an EV (for example, because your home’s electrical system is not supported without costly upgrades, or because electricity is not fully provided by the coal plants), choose a car with the best fuel economy you can get. Find vehicles with continuous variable transmissions (CVTs) – they are 10% more efficient More than the same model with an automatic transmission. Whatever the car you own, you can reduce the carbon footprint of your transport by keeping it well, not idling the engine and keeping you driving less.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on April 28, 2023 and updated in March 2025.
