Buying used cars instead of new models is one of the most impactful actions individuals can take to reduce their transportation environmental impact. The manufacturing of new vehicles requires massive amounts of resources, energy, and pollutants, while used cars avoid the vast majority of this environmental burden.
Read on to learn more about why exploring used cars is a great way to reduce your environmental impact.
Reduced Carbon Footprint
On average, the production and distribution of a new vehicle generates over 10 tons of carbon emissions. Buyers of used cars do not create any additional demand for vehicle manufacturing, allowing them to avoid this large carbon footprint. In fact, if every American drove a used vehicle instead of a new one, annual carbon emissions could decrease by millions of tons per year, according to a study by Purdue University. This is equivalent to removing 23 coal-fired power plants.
Less Pollution
Vehicle manufacturing is an intensely polluting process, releasing harmful chemicals into the air and water, which impact the environment, animals, and humans. Even with modern safeguards, things like electroplating, baking coatings, and molding plastics: each stage of production pollutes.
By eliminating the need for additional vehicle manufacturing, used cars prevent pollution from contaminating our land, waterways, and atmosphere.
Reduced Resource Consumption
Manufacturing a new mid-sized vehicle requires the consumption of precious resources, including 183 million BTUs of energy, 10,000 liters of water, and 42,509 pounds of material like steel, copper, aluminum, and lithium. These materials and the process of turning them into vehicles are highly intensive and inefficient, relying on fossil fuels and industrial mining operations.
In contrast, used cars require no additional resource consumption since they have already been manufactured. By reusing vehicles to the maximum extent possible through purchase, resale, and trade-in programs, individuals can play an important role in transitioning away from our wasteful throw-away culture.
Cost Savings for Consumers
Choosing a used vehicle over a new one offers significant cost savings for consumers through lower purchase prices, reduced registration & licensing fees, and lower insurance costs. On average, a new vehicle loses about 20% of its value the moment it’s driven off the lot. This instant depreciation means that buyers of new cars lose thousands of dollars in value as soon as they become owners.
Used cars allow consumers to avoid this large initial depreciation hit by transferring the major loss in value to the first owner. The money saved by buying used can then be spent in support of other financial priorities or redirected to local businesses and communities.
An Easy Choice
While policy and industry changes are still needed, choosing used cars is something individuals can do right now to align their transportation impacts with their environmental values. By buying, driving, and maintaining fuel-efficient used vehicles for as long as possible, people can actively work to reduce emissions and pollution from the transportation sector.
Overall, buying used cars is one of the easiest and most effective actions for building a sustainable transportation system and economy.
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