Warrant Canary creator On May 18, 2017 8:06 AM, "Razer" <g2s@riseup.net> wrote: On 05/18/2017 12:27 AM, grarpamp wrote:
Can't abandon current average lifespan of most recently sold gasoline vehicle, so definitely not 8 years, more like 25.
In the US, after 10 years you can no longer get many parts for you car from the dealer. They intentionally obsolete them, ostensibly to get allegedly 'cleaner ones' on the road, but really, force-obsoleting cars after 10 years instead of having ones that could run indefinitely (My IH Travelall had 40 years on it when I passed it on) is the ONLY THING that keeps the auto industry from 'vanishing from the pages of time'. With the maturation of additive manufacture (for more structural plastics and metals using laser sintering and electron beam melting) parts for autos (and other appliances) will become practical and economic. I predict the rebirth of a "Volkswagen Beetle"-like car which will be simple mechanically (esp. due to simplicity of electric drivetrains), generic and open battery (probably sodium salt vs. lithium) and electronics tech, and modular design that enables affordable interior and exterior upgrades w/o need to replace the frame.