Having recently read an article about environmental pollution, the writer stated that a Classic Car is half as polluting as a mobile phone.
A very reliable source reported:
Britain’s classic car fleet accounts for just 0.22 per cent of the UK’s transport emissions.
Driving a classic is no more impactful on the environment than drinking three cups of coffee a day.
The report adds that a return flight from London to New York, or someone’s typical three-day Christmas celebrations, emit slightly more CO2 than a year of driving a classic.
Or a one-week holiday in the Med’.
Whilst I can’t vouch for the validity of these claims, the old chestnut of comparing a new EV to a Classic Car has raised its head once more.
The usual examples proffered: driving a 50-year-old classic saves the emissions of manufacturing ten new EVs.
Despite how environmentally friendly new EVs are, their production can damage the environment.
Furthermore, toxic water from open-cast mining for zinc, lithium, and cobalt are components required for an EV.
Plus, the vast distances covered for supply etc., etc.
Interestingly, Polestar states that 24 tonnes of CO₂ emissions are created when building a Polestar 2.
The above calculations are based on a typical Western-world car owner who purchases a new car every 5 to 7 years.
Also, the usual comparison method assumes the annual mileage of a Classic Car to be 1,000 miles.
Evidently, a classic car driven 1,000 miles pa produces 563 kg of CO₂, which represents about half the emissions of my smartphone.
