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Generally in the UK cars get scrapped because they failed their MOT. Everything tested during an MOT (except emissions, which I've never seen fail) is also pres
by leoedin 5y ago
Generally in the UK cars get scrapped because they failed their MOT. Everything tested during an MOT (except emissions, which I've never seen fail) is also present on electric cars. It's basically checking brakes, suspension, lights and body rust.
Maybe there'll be less mechanics, but I doubt they'll disappear because they can't do engine work. Engines are super reliable these days - it's the stuff around them which develops problems.
- samwillis 5y agoWhile I don’t disagree it’s also worth noting that for example the brakes on BEVs last significantly longer due to regenerative braking, up to 200k miles I believe. This is much longer than the “three year cycles” that the article is taking about. There is also no more oil changes or exhausts on a BEV. So yes, there will be local mechanics for things such as bodywork and tires, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see only 10-20% of the number of them in 20 years time.
- jacquesm 5y agoYes, but replacing rotors and brake pads is the work of minutes on most modern cars. Bodywork can easily make a car a write off, especially if exotic materials (aluminum, carbon, composites) are used.
- dijonman2 5y agoElectrical is a huge problem, as complexity skyrockets we need mechanics to diagnose and repair. Mechanics will adapt, not disappear. Brakes are dead simple to replace and cheap to do so. Regenerative braking is insignificant in the scheme of refurbishing vehicles.
- tonyedgecombe 5y agoElectrical is the one thing my local mechanic struggles with. My guess is if EV's really take hold he will be heading for early retirement.
- gkop 5y agoYep, mechanics generally dislike electrical work.
- JackFr 5y agoAt some point do we stop calling the people who fix our cars “mechanics” and start calling them “electrics”?
- orra 5y agoIt's a fair question. The amount of earthing and electrical safety required, when repairing EVs, is quite something.
- dijonman2 5y agoHow can you earth an EV? It’s isolated.
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]
- dijonman2 5y agoIs the label important? Thanks to CAN, LIN, and automotive ethernet the competent mechanics now have things like a picoscope which affords them the ability to diagnose signal issues.
- lttlrck 5y agoBrake pads and discs last longer yes. But brake calipers can seize if left unmaintained, especially in northern states that use salt on the road (and this may be worsened if they are used less). Brake fluid is hygroscopic and should be replaced every 2-3 years regardless of use, otherwise corrosion can occur in the brake lines. There are plenty of hydraulic and mechanical items on BEVs to keep small shops busy.
- eitland 5y agoAround here a problem with discs and brake pads as well and forb electrical vehicles in particular. Wear keeps rust at bay but when they don't get enough wear to remove rust it can make the discs uneven and at that point it can easily spiral out of control.
- to11mtm 5y agoI mean, I've had this happen a few times (I drive a manual, looking ahead and coasting/timing to avoid full stops means I'm light on the brakes.) But every time, it's exhibited as a 'pulsing' feel on the brakes that is alarming before it is dangerous. I suppose to the untrained it could be confused for ABS kicking in but to me it's a very distinct feeling.
- ZeroGravitas 5y agoThe current brakes and fluids are built on the assumption they'll be heavily used and wear out. We're already seeing changes in response to the new situation, e.g. using lighter, less corrosion prone metals so I'd expect to see continual improvements in this over time. https://www.designnews.com/automotive/lightweight-aluminum-brakes-evs-are-continentals-aim https://www.designnews.com/automotive/lightweight-aluminum-b...
- bryanlarsen 5y agoTesla's have a 2 year maintenance cycle. They replace the brake fluid, the cabin air filter and do an inspection.
- 5y ago
- petra 5y agoYcombinator has a startup, robotire, that build a robotic tool to replace tires.
- doovd 5y ago> Everything tested during an MOT (except emissions, which I've never seen fail) Don't think this is true, I was looking at the MOT record of a car a few days ago and emissions failure was definitely stated as MOT failure reason.
- dazc 5y agoI drive a 12 year old car which has been brilliant mechanically but on the past two MOTs it has failed the emissions test but passed the second time with the aid of a fuel additive. My understanding is that this is now the defualt procedure with local garages.
- Scoundreller 5y agoPro tip for the emissions test: make sure the catalytic converter has had a chance to get red hot (by taking the test after a high speed drive).
- klyrs 5y agoAh, goodhart's law strikes again. Car won't pass emissions? Drive it harder before the test!
- rootusrootus 5y agoI'm under the impression that many emissions testing programs (at least in the US) have discarded their more sophisticated testing mechanisms and now just rely on the ECU saying everything is okay. Since most cars on the road are new enough to have that ability. Oregon definitely ditched the dynos, and while they use a sniffer for really old cars, I wouldn't be surprised if they ditch that before much longer. They're getting a lot more strict on ECU testing, too. Used to be you just needed to have no check emissions codes being thrown. Now they're more thorough, for most ECUs they can check to also verify no modifications to the emissions settings (can't just tell the computer it has no cat so it doesn't throw codes).
- 5y ago
- michaelt 5y agoWell, the article says:- > "I think we’re very familiar with the usual two- to three-year cycles that are extremely popular in the UK, [...] Toyota will take vehicles back to the factory after their first use cycle (ie a typical lease contract) and refurbish them This article isn't about "remanufacturing" cars at end-of-life - it's about three-year-old cars.
- Zenst 5y agoWould be interesting how this compares to leasing a car as many do. Mindful there are many who already buy and sell back to dealers within 3 years and then buy new again. How well Toyota will be able to compete with that and the second-hand market will be the sink or swim for this initiative.
- Closi 5y agoIt's specifically talking about lease cars too - car manufacturers actually already have agreements with lease companies to take back cars after 3 years, which is a key reason car manufacturers have 'approved used' car sales. This arrangement is particularly common with company cars.
- tonyedgecombe 5y agoIs that true, I always thought they ended up in the car auctions.
- to11mtm 5y agoIt depends on a few factors. Typically, what happens post-lease is that the inspection will help determine whether the vehicle is of the correct 'quality' to be Certified Pre-Owned (i.e. sufficient quality or fixing whatever's wrong and selling as CPO is worth doing) and that's kinda the first decision gate. After that, I would assume that the dealer getting the lease back has some pull as to whether they keep it, but that might be contingent on a few factors like what your agreement with the leasing company is and what your current floorplan is like. (Many dealers in the US don't own most of the inventory on their lots, so any car you keep on your lot eats into that line of credit.) Oh, also the agreements between the financing companies and the auctions themselves. In some cases the agreements are extremely tight, and there are only small windows where someone doesn't already have the 'rights' to sell a vehicle. (That was a fun project.)
- cfn 5y agoMy car failed the emissions MOT a few times inthe UK and it was less than 10 years old at the time.
- AngryData 5y agoIn the US many states have are no emissions testing so not passing a test, worst case, means selling it a state over which is only a small loss of value. How many cars in the UK are on the road with near 300,000 miles on them?