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The manufacture of new vehicles takes considerable material and energy resources. It has been calculated that with a worldwide production rate of around 48 million per year, a new car is produced approximately every second. Car manufacture requires iron, steel, aluminium, zinc, lead, copper, platinum, and a range of other materials such as plastics. The processing of these materials produces considerable amounts of harmful wastes and emissions. It is claimed that an average 27 tons of waste are produced from the extraction of raw materials for the manufacture of one car.
However, in terms of energy it is thought that over a 14 year lifespan of a car, only 10% of its total energy consumption is taken up in manufacture, with 82% coming from direct fuel use or was related to the fuel extraction and distribution cycle.
Efforts are being made
to reduce the impacts of car manufacture. Over 10 per cent of UK registrations
for Environmental Management Systems (EMS) certified to ISO14001 are in the
automotive sector. The SMMT's Manufacturing Environment Working Group (MEWG)
focuses on issues and implications of new environmental legislation and European
directives.
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