Climate change and green initiatives have become the forefront of the news of late. Trickling down from the government’s goal of being net-zero by 2050, our habits and what we have always known are being challenged and the direction of the automotive industry is going electric.
We were interested to hear your perspective as classic vehicle owners. Do you think we’re harming the environment with our classic hobby? Do you even believe in climate change?
Of the 300 people who completed our recent survey, 94% believe that climate change is indeed real, with 45% saying that it is a product of man, 33% think it’s a natural occurrence in nature’s timeline and 16% were unsure of the cause.
So, with that question answered with a resounding yes, next we learnt that 52% of people do not think they are contributing with their classic hobby. Many with thoughts like; ‘I don’t drive enough miles, so carbon emissions are low’ and ‘Classic cars make up such an infinitesimal proportion of motor vehicles and cover so few miles each year that they are not contributing to or creating a pollution or climate problem.’
But 26% said classic vehicles were contributing, with comments like, ‘Classic cars aren’t really helping climate change.’
With opinion divided on the role classics play in the big environmental debate, 77% of people do believe they are helping towards the fight against climate change in other areas of their lives. From recycling, to diet, to investing in sustainable businesses and entities.
We’d love to hear your thoughts in our comment section below. Do you think the classic community does enough to help the environment?
If all things are taken into consideration then I consider that the owning and use of a classic car causes miniscule problem in the great scheme of things. I think in ten years time electric cars will be old hat but during that time the production of those cars and especially batteries which only last about 8 years are a big problem. Unless there are huge advances in battery technology and the raw materials used then I cannot see any great advantage in the long term. The real long term problem is the growing population of this world and we must be now at or near the maximum which can be sensibly sustained so something quite drastic has to be done in that direction.
regalo, 22/12/2021
Yes I have two classic cars which drive a very low mileage and I help climate change in other areas. House heated by ground source heat pump, PV panels on my roof. I use my electric bike to cycle to the village instead of a car. So I do believe in climate change but classic cars compared with other car use is minimal.
John, 22/12/2021
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