New academic research has calculated that the lifetime cost of a small car—such as an Opel Corsa—is about $689,000, of which society pays $275,000.
  • Blue_Morpho@lemmy.worldEnglish
    20·
    15 days ago

    I really like that he included social costs but he used Present Value calculations to get that high private cost number- which is lowkey bullshit. Because it assumes you will use every Euro saved to invest money in the stock market and make consistent good returns on your money.

    So it’s not that the private cost is that high it’s that if you saved money and the stock market is consistently good you’d have more money at the end of 50 years. The reason that’s bullshit is that same present value calculation makes solar or almost any purchase look bad.

    He should have focused on the social costs. That’s real.

  • sunzu2@thebrainbin.org
    61·
    15 days ago

    Vast majority having to own car in the US is becoming economically unsustainable but the society has not even knowledge this fact. Either cost will go down some how or people won’t be able to get to work.