The Fix is In

Guest Post by Eric Peters

Well, it’s coming.

Since most people aren’t buying an EV – for all the obvious reasons – it will be necessary to get rid of the vehicles they’re driving. The ones they want to keep on driving. One way to do this is already being done in the European Union, where new regulations are coming that will make it difficult if not legally impossible to fix them.

“The proposal, originating from the European Commission and yet to be ratified, aims to phase out older, more polluting vehicles in favour of environmentally friendly options,” reads a news story about the fix that’s almost in.”

More environmentally friendly options.

Because we all know that three-ton EVs lugging around 1,000-plus pounds of environmentally toxic materials gathered via Earth rape and child labor are “environmentally friendly.”

And “options”? Isn’t the whole point of this exercise to eliminate them? In favor of one “option”?

Anyhow, vehicles 15 years old and older will be fixed by declaring them “residual” and being not worth fixing – according to the people who want to force you to get rid of such vehicles – when a major repair is needed, such as a new transmission or even a major brake system overhaul. The proposed law would bar such vehicles from being repaired, thereby rendering them unusable even though they might be fixable.

Because, of course, such vehicles usually are worth fixing.

Here’s I’ll use my own vehicle as an example. It is a 22-year-old Nissan pick-up. It may be old, but it still runs very much the same as it did when it was new. The body isn’t rusty; the paint still looks nice. It would be well-worth-it to me to spend $2,000 on a major repair – if that becomes necessary – after which it would be fixed and allow me to continue driving a vehicle that isn’t a battery powered device. One that’s paid-for, so I’m not making payments on it.

It’d be worth spending $10,000 on this truck to replace most of its drivetrain and another $5,000 to get it painted, so it looks like new – to avoid having to make payments on a $50,000 device.

Of course, that’s precisely the reason why the fix is in.

The last two things the people behind this want are people not making monthly payments and not driving around in a device that they have control over. The former is a problem – for them – of their own creation, ironically enough.

“Environmental” regs have made vehicles durable to an extent that would have been almost unimaginable prior to the imposition of these regulations. Engines are built to exceedingly high standards, relative to what was typical in the past; they are “tight” in order not to emit. They benefit from extremely precise fuel delivery – the always optimum air-fuel ratio – which prevents gas (which is a solvent) from diluting the oil and thereby increasing wear on the internals.

Oils are far superior to what they were. Etc.

The net result is engines that aren’t burning any oil – or showing any significant wear – even after 100,000 miles and a decade of use. Clutches regularly last that long, too.

Bodies last even longer.

People have figured this out and it’s part of the reason why the average age of vehicles in regular service as daily drivers is now nearly 13 years old. The other part of it is new vehicle prices have sailed beyond the event horizon of affordability for many, making it not just worth fixing the vehicle they have but a necessity. The cherry on top (so to speak) is that many people simply don’t like and don’t want a new vehicle – device or not – encumbered with such things as “advanced driver assistance technology” and all the rest of it.

They prefer to keep – and fix – what they’ve got.

Obviously, this is a problem for car companies that want to sell you a new car. And lenders who want you to borrow – and pay monthly – for the privilege. It is also a problem for those pushing battery powered devices, which includes the car companies that have bought into this business.

They need you to pay for it.

Hence this business. We’ll fix you – and your little dog, too.

But how will they enforce this business? If parts are still available, then people will still be able to fix their “residual” vehicles, the law be damned. Expect parts to become less available, especially for older vehicles. It may become a crime to stock such parts – and this could be enforced in the same way that it is a crime to sell the banned refrigerant Freon to anyone who isn’t “certified” by the government. Parts have serial numbers. Inspectors could check. The threat of prosecution would be sufficient. It is likely they’ll force-close salvage yards and do to useable spare parts what was done to mechanically sound “clunkers” here not-all-that-long ago (i.e., physically destroy the major operational  parts, such as the engine, as by pouring silica in the engine so that it seizes).

It could be a very good idea to stock up on the parts you may need going forward. Including basic but essential service parts such as oil filters, fan belts, water pumps, hoses and so on. The more you have on hand, the more you’ll be able to fix what you’ve got tomorrow.

And keep them from fixing you.

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