It’s Earth Day. And in what has become the Green Car Report’s Earth Day tradition, it’s time to revisit a litmus test of how changing the auto market is.
Question: “When is it morally wrong to buy a car with a muffler?”
Or, to paraphrase and clarify: When would driving around your neighborhood, emitting emissions, be considered careless or socially irresponsible?
When is it morally wrong to buy cars with exhaust pipes?
– Green Car Report (@GreenCarReports) April 22, 2023
Since the site first asked a version of this question in 2014, and since this version was last reviewed in 2019, most vehicle types now have all-electric options. . The level of awareness about trams is also exponentially greater—and even the Luddites see it happening and are a little concerned about it. How much could their gas-guzzling vehicle be worth? at the time of the transaction.
The era of coronavirus shutdown’ clean air also gives us a deeper level of awareness of local air qualitywith fossil fuel-based particulate matter affecting higher death rate from Covid-19 and much more. As a Cornell University study showed last year, lower levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from car exhausts could save 1,163 premature deaths every year in the Los Angeles metro area alone—corresponding to $12.61 billion in economic benefits.
Electric vehicles have always been better at keeping pollution out of your neighborhood, but now it is increasingly hard to argue that electric vehicles are not better for the environment in all use cases. Based on the vehicle’s entire lifecycle, emissions associated with electric vehicles are much lower than those for comparable new gasoline vehicles anywhere in the United States. As a UK study shows by 2020, electric cars are cleaner than gasoline in 95% of the world.
Volvo S90 2021 (hidden exhaust tip)
The visual cues of an internal combustion engine can even become outdated. Large grilles, hood vents and prominent exhaust pipes have long been part of automotive design. But to look for signs, one of the most powerful examples is Volvo’s pivot in 2020 to begin with. tips for covering the exhaust on its plug-in hybrid.
As Volvo’s former head of global design, Robin Page, told Green Car Reports at the time: “By removing features that were once a standout feature, we’re not just sending a message saying they’re not. needed but could also simplify the design that continues to embody Scandinavian elegance.”
At the time, Page noted that the design choice recognizes efforts to promote cleaner cities and improves the environment, and it visually connects the company’s transition to fully-powered cars. by electricity.
Dodge Charger Daytona Concept
That may be enough to think that this is not a fad. It’s certainly a different philosophy towards change than Stellantis’ Dodge brand, however, in which Daytona Concept Charger last year demonstrated an exhaust system that actually emits noise although not particulate matter and CO2.
Even if you drive a car with an internal combustion engine, do you want to hide the exhaust? If you have an EV, do you want exhaust noise?
And getting back to the gist of it, when is buying a new gas-powered car, with a lifespan of 15 or 20 years, going to be deafening? Add your comments below and vote above in the poll before Monday morning!
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h/t to John Voelcker for reminder
