Why exactly to you believe the Hummer's lifespan is limited to 120,000 miles? Most truck owners I know have HUGE mileage on their rigs - my '84 Suburban has almost 500,000 on it. Trucks are generally built to last quite a bit longer than cars, and I don't see 300,000 miles as a major obstacle. The Prius, on the other hand, will probably die an abnormally early death due to the high cost of repair once its electronics & electricals start failing.
Although I think the scope of this particular paper is limited and probably biased, I would really love to see some further research on this general topic. The newest car I own is 12 years old now, and living in California I get the very distinct feeling that the PTBs don't want my old POS (a once very-expensive Alfa Romeo) on the road for all the environmental damage it does with its tailpipe.
I would LOVE to see a study that compares the damage the extra stuff coming out of my car does versus the savings a new SULEV or PZEV car offers when you factor all the new pollution that goes into making a brand-new Camry Hybrid. I really question whether even a 50% savings in tailpipe emissions over 10 years makes up for all the manufacturing and shipping involved in a new car. From this article, it sure sounds like it may not.
I'm willing to make sacrifices for the environment, but I never have and still don't see how a 3200lb rolling toxic waste hazard is any improvement over a 2200lb '87 Civic, y'know?
Interesting point... we're already starting to see this type of activity with straight-to-DVD movies. If you've got $1m and wanna double it quickly, film a crappy movie and send it to Blockbuster... Music isn't nearly as profitable as video, and there isn't the option of rental (low-risk purchases for consumers) but I could definitely see someone with a few bucks producing an album and throwing it on iTunes etc...
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Why exactly to you believe the Hummer's lifespan is limited to 120,000 miles? Most truck owners I know have HUGE mileage on their rigs - my '84 Suburban has almost 500,000 on it. Trucks are generally built to last quite a bit longer than cars, and I don't see 300,000 miles as a major obstacle. The Prius, on the other hand, will probably die an abnormally early death due to the high cost of repair once its electronics & electricals start failing.
Although I think the scope of this particular paper is limited and probably biased, I would really love to see some further research on this general topic. The newest car I own is 12 years old now, and living in California I get the very distinct feeling that the PTBs don't want my old POS (a once very-expensive Alfa Romeo) on the road for all the environmental damage it does with its tailpipe.
I would LOVE to see a study that compares the damage the extra stuff coming out of my car does versus the savings a new SULEV or PZEV car offers when you factor all the new pollution that goes into making a brand-new Camry Hybrid. I really question whether even a 50% savings in tailpipe emissions over 10 years makes up for all the manufacturing and shipping involved in a new car. From this article, it sure sounds like it may not.
I'm willing to make sacrifices for the environment, but I never have and still don't see how a 3200lb rolling toxic waste hazard is any improvement over a 2200lb '87 Civic, y'know?
I think the answer is obvious: You just build more tubes.
Interesting point... we're already starting to see this type of activity with straight-to-DVD movies. If you've got $1m and wanna double it quickly, film a crappy movie and send it to Blockbuster... Music isn't nearly as profitable as video, and there isn't the option of rental (low-risk purchases for consumers) but I could definitely see someone with a few bucks producing an album and throwing it on iTunes etc...