Towards ‘electric disposable cars’?

On the way to the landfill? In a new report published Wednesday, April 17, entitled “Aging in the car: towards disposable cars? the association Stop Planned Obsolescence (HOP) points to the loss of repairability of vehicles, especially electric vehicles. The association tells a scenario of “automotive fast fashion” causing you to get cold sweats.

“In 2044, despite its relative reliability, When the battery gets tired or breaks down, you have to throw the car away!”. Especially since “the network of independent repairers, although so developed in the 2020s, has melted like snow in the sun”, the report outlines. As for repairers’ after-sales service, “it is the zero-service policy that dominates, which Tesla pioneered”projects HOP.

New electric vehicles appear to be less repairable

Nowadays, some electric batteries are already difficult to dismantle. Sealed cover, resin or foam around the battery components… These more economically beneficial designs for manufacturers can compromise repairability. Paradoxically, the most repairable batteries are found in old vehicles such as the Renault ZOE or the Peugeot iOn where the battery cover is screwed on.

“It is a lottery for the motorist when purchasing, because he cannot easily know which model has a repairable battery,” says the report. Especially since “sonly half of manufacturers offer repairable batteries.” There are also fears about battery life, while fast charging reduces the number of charging cycles. However, the cost of a battery represents between 30% and 40% of the price of vehicles.

Another trend: the production of new models with very large molded parts instead of assembling dozens of plates. This technique is called a source of savings and lightness for manufacturers “giga casting” can be a nightmare for repairers and insurers: “at the slightest shock it will be necessary to replace such an important part of the car that it will probably be more profitable to scrap it in the event of a collision,” the association fears. Added to this is the growing risk of digital software obsolescence, which new vehicles love.

Progress at European level

According to HOP, the automotive sector is sacrificing repairability at lower prices. However, in the long run, costs for consumers could explode. For example, rental company Hertz has said goodbye to a large part of its fleet of electric vehicles due to the repair costs. “In Britain, some insurers have already started raising insurance premiums because of these irreparable practices.” the report adds.

The association therefore calls for these elements to be taken into account. On March 13, the European Parliament gave the green light to the new Euro 7 standard, which introduces minimum performance requirements for batteries. These will have to operate at 80% of their capacity for a maximum of five years or 100,000 km and 72% for a maximum of eight years or 160,000 km. a “environmental passport” is also intended to inform consumers about battery performance and condition.

The new vehicle circularity regulations proposed by the European Commission in July 2023 are also expected to improve the repairability of vehicles through a design that makes parts easier to dismantle. A progress that, according to HOP, must be continued by allowing disassembly and replacement “at module level” batteries. In a broader sense, the association advocates the establishment of one “recoverability index”.