In Cars for Treehuggers, Less is Definitely More
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto 
on 11.30.05
Where we live, one must have their older cars tested for emissions to get the licence plates renewed. Our 16 year old Miata passed with flying colours- you could suck on this tailpipe for a week and not get a headache. Hybrid Ford Escapes and, dare we say, Prius's, are not necessarily the only answer- less is more, smaller cars use less fuel and produce less exhaust. When in LA last week we saw the Toyota Scion for the first time- boxy and cute but big inside. We suspect that it can carry anything a family needs. Good design is as important as sophisticated technology and a whole lot cheaper; We need more of it.::Scion
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Older cars have more relaxed testing standards than new cars. It is true that lighter cars can use smaller engines that will use less gas and therefore pollute less, but a small, new car with an efficient engine is really the state of the art. Check out this link (which I'm pretty sure I got from treehugger): http://www.environmentaldefense.org/tailpipetally/index.cfm
What would be interesting is to do a complete analysis of the pollution produced by manufacturing and operating a new car compared to continuing to operate an older car. Buying a new car requires disposing of the old one and consuming plenty of energy and material to make the new one, which could make up for the difference in pollution when driving.
Although it does warm my heart to see this trend finally taking a foothold here in Canada (and North America in general), it makes me wonder two things:
1. Why are we so far behind Europe (and others)? I was in England a few years ago and it seemed like almost every second car was a Smart car.
2. What's going to happen to all those SUVs that people will be wanting to get rid of now that they're downsizing? Will there just be the same number of them out there, but with second owners now? I guess Rome wasn't built in a day.
Anyway, overall this is a good thing.