Fukuoka, Japan – Extending the life of a vehicle, rather than cutting it short through vehicle replacement programs, can help reduce its life-cycle CO2 emissions throughout the supply chain, according to a new study by researchers from universities in Japan, Germany and the United States.

The study suggests that while the American “cash for clunkers” program and the U.K.’s “scrappage scheme” were designed as economic instruments to support the vehicle production industry, governments also claimed that they reduced CO2 emissions by bringing more fuel-efficient vehicles onto the road. However, the researchers said that little evidence exists to capture the economic and environmental trade-offs, and developed a new dynamic model to quantify the carbon emissions due to changes in product life and consumer behaviour related to product use. Based on a case study of Japanese vehicles used from 1990 to 2000, the researchers said that extending the vehicle’s lifetime, rather than shortening it, helps to reduce CO2 life-cycle emissions.

Even if the fuel economy of less fuel-efficient regular passenger vehicles were improved to levels comparable with hybrid cars, total CO2 emissions would decrease by only 0.2 per cent.

However, the researchers did find that extending the vehicle’s lifetime contributed to a moderate increase in emissions of health-relevant air pollutants, such as CO, HC and NOx, during the use phase.

The study concluded that the effects of global warming and air pollution “can be somewhat moderated and that these problems can be addressed through specific policy instruments directed at increasing the market for hybrid cars as well as extending lifetime of automobiles, which is contrary to the current wisdom.”

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