“Disposable” cars: irreplaceable batteries, “giga-casting”, software obsolescence… an association launches an alert

Currently the average lifespan of a car in France is 19 years. What will happen in the future, worries the Stop Planned Obsolescence association. Illustration MAXPPP – Jean-Luc Flémal

Guaranteeing the durability and repairability of vehicles is the urgent request issued by the Stop Planned Obsolescence association which publishes in a report published this Wednesday, April 17, an alert in the face of the proliferation of "disposable cars".

A 'disposable' car. The formula is surprising, but it is indeed a phenomenon of premature wear and lack of repairability that the Halte à l’s association wants to talk about ;planned obsolescence (HOP).

In a report published this Wednesday April 17, the association warns against this phenomenon of "disposable cars" and issues recommendations aimed at ensuring the sustainability of these cars, whether electric or thermal.

While according to the association, "the lifespan of a vehicle in France is today ;today on average 19 years. Will it be the same for the cars of tomorrow&nbsp ;?", she asks, pointing in particular to certain brands, such as the giant Tesla, which "opt for batteries made irreparable".

Irreplaceable batteries, giga-casting

In addition to the most famous brand of electric car, "only half of the manufacturers offer repairable batteries, information that goes under the radar of consumers" , the report indicates, while "repairing the battery components would still allow repairs up to 10 times cheaper".

To date, a damaged battery can therefore push the owner of an electric car to change the entire vehicle.

The association also denounces "giga-casting". This practice which, to reduce production costs, "consists of molding many parts of the car from a block", is on the other hand very restrictive for the owner of the car in the event of repair.

Software obsolescence and online petition

Finally in a third recommendation, HOP asks to "promote the market for spare parts from the circular economy", in particular against the software obsolescence of connected vehicles, increasingly common on the market and which, in the same way as a smartphone or any other connected object, suffer from &amp ;nbsp;"miniaturization, component obsolescence, risk of software obsolescence, complexity for repairers, unavailable parts, serialization practice, obstacles to access to data".

Two months before the European elections, the Halte à l’planned obsolescence association is launching a petition to call for "that no irreparable car can be sold in Europe", therefore focusing its message around three claims. Introduce battery repairability guarantees, impose repairability standards and combat the threat of software obsolescence.