Decisions about cars' lifespans must be grounded in sound economic logic

Red is a colour of passion.  Here, it is not about the political hue, but how colours make an emotional difference when chosen for personal pleasure. Colour, however, is the last decision a buyer makes when deciding on a car. This colour might be one that suits their numerological beliefs, looks good on the curves of a particular model, or is simply a favourite.

 

Nonetheless, there has been a perceptible change over the past decade in how car purchases are made. Buyers today are spoilt for choice given the number of manufacturers and models that have been mainstreamed in the automobile sector, especially in high-volume geographies.

 

Despite the steep price rise, the decision on a model is no longer based solely on engine power or range, but is also influenced by features such as torque, autonomous engine braking, and the design of the transmission tunnel — including its usability when running between the front two seats and connecting to the console. These were, however, not the concerns when a red Brio came into the household more than 15 years back. The decision on colour, nonetheless, was made for the enhanced sporty look it gave to Honda’s lightweight, low-priced car.

 

While it was the first car for a new driver, it also meant that her daughter’s short ride to the bus stop or Dalmatian Bella’s trips to veterinarians happened in style — it was handy for short-distance chores. Each time someone sat in the red Brio without Bella, she missed out on the thrill of a 15–20-minute ride. The Princess of the Red Brio looked forward to barking at random motorists who ventured too close to her mobile principality, at cops who harassed her pet mom during the Covid-19 lockdown, and at roadside strays. The thrill lasted even after she had been jabbed multiple times by a team of veterinarians. If the leash was accidentally left off, the only way to get her back was by opening the door of the red “joy box”. The ownership of 12-year-old Brio lasted until a few months after the Princesses passed away.

 

Cars, however, are not just about thrill and memories. They are about livelihoods, too, whether for a delivery van that brings bottled water to a fuel outlet, which recently stopped dispensing to old cars on government order, or for a self-owned cab driver who moonlights to earn a few extra bucks by switching off his aggregator’s mobile app. To some commercial drivers, they can be like a piece of farmland they never owned but tilled as their own — cleaning it spick and span every day, just as a child is groomed and fed before being asked to study.

 

Car as a machine, however, has a life span, cut short if not maintained well. It is important to understand that this lifespan for a particular vehicle is subjective and tricky to assess. In a pollution-ridden geography like the National Capital Region of Delhi, the lifespan could be cut short to 10 years for diesel and 15 years for petrol variants. This translated into a recent Delhi government directive where fuel was denied to these “end-of-life” vehicles. The decision was taken back, but if found parked in public space, they can still be impounded.

 

According to the VAHAN portal, the country in 2024-2025 registered  711,932 pure diesel four-wheelers, 5,326 diesel hybrids, and 2,015,030 pure petrol, and 907,197 other petrol hybrids including those that can take E20 fuel. These many vehicles just on petrol and diesel, for the country’s road network of 66.71 lakh km, mean that, in addition to those already on the road, one four-wheeler was added for every two km of road in India. And then there are two- and three-wheelers and non-automotive vehicles, too.

 

It is nobody’s case that old, inefficient vehicles must not give way to newer ones if road congestion and air pollution are to be countered. However, discarding the old — that lives in someone’s memory and runs households — needs a compelling economic logic as well. It is important to build an ecosystem that reaches out to those who resist change by developing a robust reward system. Equally important is to have mechanised recycling that is truly an environment-friendly exercise, for hasty adieus hardly make joyful journeys. 

       

The author is a former journalist