The accelerated obsolescence of internal combustion and electric cars. Alerts on a fast-changing sector

86% of French households own at least one car (95% in rural areas). In the wake of the introduction of low-emission zones and the 2035 ban on the sale of new combustion-powered cars, HOP has taken a closer look at the planned obsolescence of automobiles. In this report, HOP reveals the new market trends that are making cars cheaper, but less repairable: the road to 'fast fashion' in the automotive sector is open. The automotive sector has long been a model of circular economy and sustainability. This era may soon be over. The average lifespan of a vehicle in France today is 19 years. Will the same be true of tomorrow's cars? Some electric vehicle manufacturers opt for batteries that are rendered irreparable. The report cites the practices of Tesla, with its kilos of pink foam trapping batteries in an irreparable block. Only half of all automakers offer repairable batteries, a fact that goes unnoticed by consumers. Yet repairing battery components could save up to 10 times the cost. Today, if a battery malfunctions or is damaged in an accident, there is no guarantee that the battery will be available, or that it can be repaired or replaced by a new or reconditioned one. He could therefore be forced to replace the entire car. With a view to reducing production costs, giga-casting is the industrial practice of molding many car parts from a single block. This could considerably increase the cost of repair, and would force a large part of the vehicle to be discarded after a crash. HOP denounces the consequences of this practice, initiated by Tesla and BYD and gradually adopted by other manufacturers. Automobiles are becoming electrical and electronic devices. Miniaturization, component obsolescence, the risk of software obsolescence, increased complexity for repairers, unavailable parts, serialization practices, data access barriers - these are all practices that call into question motorists' right to affordable repairs. Results: The sometimes tempting sales prices conceal high running costs for customers (insurance, maintenance and software bugs, unaffordable repairs) and a potentially short vehicle lifespan (in the event of no after-sales service, an irreparable vehicle, an unobtainable battery, etc.). Without an ambitious circular economy policy for electric cars, the pressure on natural resources associated with manufacturing, exacerbated by accelerated renewal, will worsen the sector's environmental footprint.