Eco Cars in General - Cars with Low CO2 benefits

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Sun 7 Sep 2014 08:50
Eco Cars in General - Cars with Low CO2 benefits - computer

Hello!

I'm trying to figure out the benefit to the environment (if any) of buying a second hand diesel car over the same model with Petrol.

If (for example) the the diesel does 45 MPG and the Petrol 25 MPG then obviously you will personally be consuming less fuel / producing less CO2 with the diesel.

However, wouldn't the overall effect on the environment in general be the same regardless of what you buy as the petrol version you didn't buy will still be rolling around emitting higher CO2 - just with someone else driving it!

The only way i think you could 'benefit the planet' would be to buy a higher polluting car and then scrap it, replacing it with an eco car - but then scrapping a perfectly good car also doesnt seem eco to me!

Is this correct logic or am I missing something?

Appreciate your thoughts as although I love my cars and want to do the best for the envirinment I'm confused by the whole eco thing!

Thanks!

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Sun 7 Sep 2014 12:05
Eco Cars in General - Cars with Low CO2 benefits - Happy Blue!

The most effective way of reducing your carbon footprint whilst still driving is not to change cars but to keep the old one running. The environmental costs of manufacture are far higher than the CO2 emmissions etc during its lifetime. If you old car dies - i.e. if clearly beyond economic repair, then buy another second hand one.

This is called bangernomics - much favoured by some on this forum for a variety of reasons - not least of which is freedom from major depreciation.

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Sun 7 Sep 2014 22:26
Eco Cars in General - Cars with Low CO2 benefits - Bolt

Might I suggest you go with what you want rather than worry about something you cannot do much about.

Pollution has been a topic of conversation since I started my mechanics training in the 70s and nothing was done,it will be another 20 years before we even reach euro levels in London,so I doubt anything you buy will make any difference now!

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Sun 7 Sep 2014 23:27
Eco Cars in General - Cars with Low CO2 benefits - P3t3r

Firstly, the diesel will have higher particulate emissions. So although you'll save some CO2, overall it's not so clear cut. Particulates tend to cause health problems.

Here's the way I see it. If we all purchase old gas guzzlers, then the old eco cars would end up getting scrapped. If we all purchase old eco cars, then the gas guzzlers would get scrapped instead. Does that make sense?

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Mon 8 Sep 2014 00:03
Eco Cars in General - Cars with Low CO2 benefits - Bolt

Firstly, the diesel will have higher particulate emissions. So although you'll save some CO2, overall it's not so clear cut. Particulates tend to cause health problems.

Here's the way I see it. If we all purchase old gas guzzlers, then the old eco cars would end up getting scrapped. If we all purchase old eco cars, then the gas guzzlers would get scrapped instead. Does that make sense?

It doesnt matter what form of transport you use they all produce particulates of one sort or the other,its just at the moment they are concentrating on diesel emissions which they should have started on years ago,its not as though they did not know how dirty they are because they did

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Mon 8 Sep 2014 08:59
Eco Cars in General - Cars with Low CO2 benefits - gordonbennet

And in other news several dozen more coal fired power stations opened in countries that will soon be the worlds biggest economies, at the same time we ensure out power cuts be knocking ours down, brilliant stuff.

Cor those white elephant (kerching) wind turbines have really been whizzing round this last week.

The elephant in the room is world population growth, thats what will ultimately finish the planet off, the car we choose to drive here won't make the slightest difference.

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Mon 8 Sep 2014 13:42
Eco Cars in General - Cars with Low CO2 benefits - alan1302

Cor those white elephant (kerching) wind turbines have really been whizzing round this last week.

Ones when I go to Skegness are always working away. Wouldn't make sense to build them and not use them.

I can't understand the logic of why people are happy to pollute just because someone else does.

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Mon 8 Sep 2014 14:10
Eco Cars in General - Cars with Low CO2 benefits - pd

The truth is, current cars are not a lot better on fuel or CO2 emissions than those of 10 years ago.

None of these cars with official figures of 120g/km or whatever actually produce that in the real world. What has happened is that manufacturers have got very good at manipulating the very old EU official tests.

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Mon 8 Sep 2014 14:28
Eco Cars in General - Cars with Low CO2 benefits - skidpan

In my opinion its quite simple. If you have a car that is reliable and does everything you want out of it there is no way you will save a single penny buying a new ECO model. It will cost you £1000's in reality in purchase cost and depreciation.

But if you really want a new car buying an ECO model makes complete sense. The low VED saves a few £'s a year and whilst they will never get anywhere near the quoted MPG figures they are better than cars of years ago.

Couple of examples.

My Seat Leon 1.4 TSI has 140 PS, goes like a rocket and averages 45mpg. My Golf GTI form the early 90's had 112 PS, probably went just as well but only did mid 30's mpg.

Wife had a Mondeo TDCi estate. 115PS, seemd huge bu not terribly quick, averaged about 39 mpg overall but you could get almost 50 mpg on a decent run. Now she has a Kia Ceed CRDi Estate. Much quicker than the Mondeo (but still no rocket) and has just as much luggage space, its averaged 52 mpg for the 4 years she has had it, seen 60 mpg on a long run.

So in our experience mpg has improved but your savings would never pay for the new motor.

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Mon 8 Sep 2014 14:16
Eco Cars in General - Cars with Low CO2 benefits - Ethan Edwards

I think you seriously misunderstood the point being made. The point was why on earth should I make a pointless and utterly futile green gesture at great expense and ruin my countries economy. Whilst massive polluters are doing nothing whatsoever and their economy is surging ahead. Eg China. What possible incentive have I to don the hair shirt when it does nobody any good and only serves to impoverish me. Happy to help your understanding there.

Eco cars....I buy new cars on a regular basis using my money.. Being Eco comes about 999th on my list of considerations yet I drive a Hybrid. Why? Well in some sort of order...It's comfy has the equipment I want, fits the space I have in my garage, I can afford it, Cheap to run, has adequate room for me, nice seats, pretty colour, sales person offered me a decent test drive and a cuppa, nice day, I had relations with the wife, Footy team scored as well....still a nice day, I'm sitting comfortably, the windows are adequately transparent and there would appear to be a sufficiency of them, the steering wheels round and so are the road wheels er............. etc etc...oh yeah it's a bit Eco......

Hope that helps,

Edited by Ethan Edwards on 08/09/2014 at 14:17

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Mon 8 Sep 2014 20:24
Eco Cars in General - Cars with Low CO2 benefits - P3t3r

Firstly, the diesel will have higher particulate emissions. So although you'll save some CO2, overall it's not so clear cut. Particulates tend to cause health problems.

Here's the way I see it. If we all purchase old gas guzzlers, then the old eco cars would end up getting scrapped. If we all purchase old eco cars, then the gas guzzlers would get scrapped instead. Does that make sense?

It doesnt matter what form of transport you use they all produce particulates of one sort or the other,its just at the moment they are concentrating on diesel emissions which they should have started on years ago,its not as though they did not know how dirty they are because they did

Diesels produce a lot more particulates compared to petrols. Modern diesels are a lot better than older ones, but still a lot worse than petrol.

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Mon 8 Sep 2014 23:59
Eco Cars in General - Cars with Low CO2 benefits - Smileyman

research recent proposals to ban older cars in London, deisels are and probably will always be more ploouting than petrol cars, I do agree they give a better MPG but the extra cost of deisel engines in purchase and maintenance, as well as the higher price of the fuel has convinced me never to buy a deisel, but I might be persuaded to convert a petrol car to run on LPG to reduce running costs

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Tue 9 Sep 2014 00:09
Eco Cars in General - Cars with Low CO2 benefits - gordonbennet

research recent proposals to ban older cars in London,

Bring it on, the sooner the better, any excuse for me to avoid the dump and this one trumps the lot.

My only regret about LPG is that i didn't do it years before.

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Tue 9 Sep 2014 00:29
Eco Cars in General - Cars with Low CO2 benefits - Bolt

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/motoring/london-set-ban-older-private-petrol-and-diesel-cars

they are even cleaning the streets to clear metal and rubber dust to help reduce pollution,the speed those machines travel the brushes cannot do their job properly

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