frostythor

Well-Known Member
I posted this on LinkedIn, whats your verdict

I consider my car green, not because it runs on batteries, it not solar powered , not a hybrid, it just a 22 year old discovery, I have owned it for 15 years keep it repaired, but I've not bought any replacement in the 15 years, no need, so not only have save a "small" fortune by not consistently getting newer cars that always cost more than the last, I have not paid for the energy, and materials need to build them as my car was built to last and be repairable, with out the need of a computer or a commercial garage, so maybe the true issue is to get car manufactures to stop constantly bring out new models but to make the ones they do have last a lot, lot longer
 
I posted this on LinkedIn, whats your verdict

I consider my car green, not because it runs on batteries, it not solar powered , not a hybrid, it just a 22 year old discovery, I have owned it for 15 years keep it repaired, but I've not bought any replacement in the 15 years, no need, so not only have save a "small" fortune by not consistently getting newer cars that always cost more than the last, I have not paid for the energy, and materials need to build them as my car was built to last and be repairable, with out the need of a computer or a commercial garage, so maybe the true issue is to get car manufactures to stop constantly bring out new models but to make the ones they do have last a lot, lot longer
What colour is the Disco, then?
 
Silver , but is not about the colour it about the impact keeping an Older car running well, as apposed to constantly replacing it with newer and more expensive models that need more resourced to make
 
Silver , but is not about the colour it about the impact keeping an Older car running well, as apposed to constantly replacing it with newer and more expensive models that need more resourced to make
If it is silver, it isn't green! :D

Serious answer, though. It probably depends on what mileage you do annually.
An old car that just does a few k a year has amortised it's carbon footprint of manufacture, so is just burning a few gallons of diesel a year.
If you are doing 50k a year or more, a new car is likely to be very fuel efficient, so you will burn less energy over the lifetime of the car.
 
Your never going to get a car company to provide long lasting vehicles.
1. it doesn't make economical sense.
2. You will revert to haves and have-nots.
3. With the new cars being made clean all they are doing is replacing like for like.
 
It depends who you ask. A new electric car with many /all parts made across and not contributing to UK carbon footprint and no carbon emissions from a tail pipe is 100% green
 
On a side view of making UK or more say England. Consider the issue of HS2 now. If the complaints about environmental protection then convert a currently available motorway M1 M6 example to HS links. Half of the motorway rail the other side cars.
The attraction is speed direct to major cities south to north and back. Your links to each city still available but adapting their current rail can alter.
We still retain greenbelt and improve transport structure.
 
It depends who you ask. A new electric car with many /all parts made across and not contributing to UK carbon footprint and no carbon emissions from a tail pipe is 100% green
Only if it is powered by electricity originally generated in a totally green way which is impossible, cos even if it is wave, wind or solar powered, there is a carbon footprint to making, mending and replacing these generators.
And you can take that tongue out of your cheek now!!!:D:D:D
 
its done 152000 miles in 22 years, so just under 7000 a year, , as it had 95000 on the clock when I got it my average in 15 years is 3800 miles a year
Probably better for the environment than your house.
If you really want to do your bit, sell the house, and move into the Disco! :)
 
I posted this on LinkedIn, whats your verdict

I consider my car green, not because it runs on batteries, it not solar powered , not a hybrid, it just a 22 year old discovery, I have owned it for 15 years keep it repaired, but I've not bought any replacement in the 15 years, no need, so not only have save a "small" fortune by not consistently getting newer cars that always cost more than the last, I have not paid for the energy, and materials need to build them as my car was built to last and be repairable, with out the need of a computer or a commercial garage, so maybe the true issue is to get car manufactures to stop constantly bring out new models but to make the ones they do have last a lot, lot longer
Well, about a year ago I decided to do some calculations to see if I was single-handedly destroying the environment running my 2004 TD5 Auto rather than scrapping it and buying a new electric car. I do just under 5k miles a year and roughly get the published economy figures.

Using figures published by the IET, 20 tonnes of CO2 are generated to make a new electric car, more than a conventional IC car, the battery is responsible for around 6 tonnes iirc. Going back to first principles I confirmed the Disco's 284gm CO2 per km. From this I can drive my Disco for 10 years before it emits more CO2 than it took to make an electric car. But an electric car also generates CO2 during charging, which is different per country, but taking the UK as the charging country and slightly juggling the equations, the "break even" point comes at 14 years!! But in that 14 years I am sure the electric car would need at least one replacement battery, another 6 tonnes of CO2. I didn't repeat the calculations for this case, but I reckon my Disco is better for the environment for a good 17 years, by which time I'll have long since given up driving anyway.

I started doing the calculations for wifey's Peugeot 207 (3k miles and MUCH more economical) but gave up when it seemed the sun will go out before the break even point.

For the sake of the planet, drive a Disco:):););)
 
Well, about a year ago I decided to do some calculations to see if I was single-handedly destroying the environment running my 2004 TD5 Auto rather than scrapping it and buying a new electric car. I do just under 5k miles a year and roughly get the published economy figures.

Using figures published by the IET, 20 tonnes of CO2 are generated to make a new electric car, more than a conventional IC car, the battery is responsible for around 6 tonnes iirc. Going back to first principles I confirmed the Disco's 284gm CO2 per km. From this I can drive my Disco for 10 years before it emits more CO2 than it took to make an electric car. But an electric car also generates CO2 during charging, which is different per country, but taking the UK as the charging country and slightly juggling the equations, the "break even" point comes at 14 years!! But in that 14 years I am sure the electric car would need at least one replacement battery, another 6 tonnes of CO2. I didn't repeat the calculations for this case, but I reckon my Disco is better for the environment for a good 17 years, by which time I'll have long since given up driving anyway.

I started doing the calculations for wifey's Peugeot 207 (3k miles and MUCH more economical) but gave up when it seemed the sun will go out before the break even point.

For the sake of the planet, drive a Disco:):););)
You have also got to take into account the money you have to earn to buy this car, in my case I might have to work more, which would increase my carbon footprint, or if you take the money out of the bank you could have used the money to put solar panels on your roof, which would reduce your carbon footprint, not black and white more many shades of colours that look a bit like green
 
But an electric car also generates CO2 during charging, which is different per country, but taking the UK as the charging country and slightly juggling the equations, the "break even" point comes at 14 years!! But in that 14 years I am sure the electric car would need at least one replacement battery, another 6 tonnes of CO2.
Miles out.
A new Nissan Leaf is carbon neutral in under 4 years, compared to a conventional ICE vehicle, when charging by the UK national grid, and it definitely doesn't need a new battery in a 150k miles vehicle life.
Screenshot_20220409-220055_Samsung Internet.jpg
 
I also like to think my motoring is relatively green. Since 1998, I've owned only two daily cars, both super reliable over about 340k miles (Xsara and Octavia diesels) I'm retired and total annual mileage is now about 10k between my wife and I, and this includes about 3k miles in my Discos and a couple of classics. The Octavia averages almost 48mpg year to year, better than most modern cars but I have to admit all of my vehicles are polluters compared to modern petrols/diesels.
If we all kept our cars longer, the car manufacturers would produce about half of what they currently do, likewise half the carbon footprint. The argument carries over to new phones, other tech items, food waste, clothes and fashion, etc.
Whether you believe mankind is responsible, or not, for global warming, we produce, pollute, and waste far too much "stuff."
Look at the rise of the Amazon vans, delivering, to a big extent, a load of unnecessary rubbish. Unless society lives a more utilitarian lifestyle, I can't see how we can meet the global targets governments want us to achieve. Of course economies would also collapse but that's another issue.
 
Volvo have done a cradle-to-grave comparison for a new XC40 in electric and petrol versions.

They say the electric version is ultimately greener, but not until as much as about 70k miles, depending on the source of the leccy for charging.

A leccy model in its natural habitat – short journeys around town – might never hit that mileage.

https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money...ic-car-making-emissions-70-HIGHER-petrol.html
But the electric car wouldn't emit so much bad stuff in cities.

A big part of the reason there is a push towards electric cars is not to do with overall energy consumption.

It is to do with reducing toxic emissions in cities, where most people live, and some are dying from air pollution related health conditions.
 

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