Surging Air Pollution Driven By America’s Old Cars
Americans are not buying new cars rapidly this year, as monthly sales from most large car companies show. EV sales growth has flattened. One reason for this slowdown is that drivers keep cars for many more years than in the past.
The average passenger car in the US has been on the road for 13.6 years. That figure was 8.4 years three decades ago. Older cars cause more air pollution. According to the EPA, “Since model year 2004, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have decreased by 24 percent as fuel economy has increased by 32 percent.”
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The EPA also points out that transportation causes 28% of greenhouse gas emissions in the US annually.
There are several theories about why Americans have held cars for so long compared to in the past. One is that cars are built better than they were several decades ago. They can stay on the road longer. And, even as they age, repairs are less expensive than buying a new car.
Another reason is that new cars are expensive. The average price of a new car is $48,000, which is well above what it was before the pandemic.
The average age of cars in the US will continue to increase, so car pollution will not drop.
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