You should never have to wash a car. Ever.

[Setec Astronomy]

That was difficult to read. Moving to aluminum is fine, however people will not want a fleet of boring earth tone colored cars.

That's for sure, as the numbers show, they want a fleet of boring silver and white cars.

[Setec Astronomy]

The neocons are trying to regulate water, to privatize it and make tons of money. There is the same amount of water on earth today as there was 20,000 years ago. It doesnt leave.

The neocons? I thought it was the liberal elite who were drinking all the bottled water. I guess it doesn't matter, whoever I don't agree with, it's their fault.

You're not thinking on the ecological level. 20,000 was practically yesterday. So, when you make a statement like that, it's basically true. But, on more comprehensive scale, water is lost over time. Evaporated water can be split into hydrogen and oxygen gas. Hydrogen can be lost to the system, but generally oxygen is not lost. We know this based on atmospheric composition and ratios of hydrogen and deuterium in the soil.

Whether the amount of water that is available for consumption is more or less than it was 20,000 years ago, presently is is less. Gaseous forms of this are not available for consumption. Lakes are drying up. Droughts are more common.

We do need to be more responsible with our water utilization.

Mars had water too.

I talked to a guy once who was terrified of fuel cell cars. He said we didn't need to worry about it much now, but if electricity ever got cheap, we were in trouble, because they would start using hydrolysis to get hydrogen from water, and that hydrogen leaks, and when it does, it just goes right out of the atmosphere into space, so we can never get it back...and after 25,000 years of that we won't have any water left on earth.

[AZpolisher15]

Article reminds me of these:
Bob

Funny... before I had even finished reading the first post, I had an image in my mind of nothing but DeLoreans filling a large city (and a few of them flying up above).

[SuperbShineDetail]

I don't know the full situation going on in South Africa, but if that particular community is in a serious drought then I think there should rightfully be set some water restrictions with washing vehicles until that community can get it under control. There are many methods with today's technologies such as rinseless and waterless products to navigate such restrictions.

The thought of never washing a car does not bode well with me. It can almost be related to personal hygiene.

The amount of water on Earth is vast, and I think at it's current usage rates even if it were to be depleted in 25,000 years, those futuristic humans would have probably hoped that we were focusing on problems grander than water.

[fightnews]

author needs to calm down, ford just started the aluminium thing, ever seen an aluminium body truck after a hail storm? not good. not to mention what happens when you get in an accident. plus there is no water shortage, africa is a lot diffrent then new england, water doesn't disappear it never actually leaves the planet. we still have the same water we have always had. the water you wash your car with either gets absorbed into the dirt, evaporates in to future rain, or goes into a storm drain. pollution is more of a problem, we need more treatment facilities

[fightnews]

You're not thinking on the ecological level. 20,000 was practically yesterday. So, when you make a statement like that, it's basically true. But, on more comprehensive scale, water is lost over time. Evaporated water can be split into hydrogen and oxygen gas. Hydrogen can be lost to the system, but generally oxygen is not lost. We know this based on atmospheric composition and ratios of hydrogen and deuterium in the soil.

Whether the amount of water that is available for consumption is more or less than it was 20,000 years ago, presently is is less. Gaseous forms of this are not available for consumption. Lakes are drying up. Droughts are more common.

We do need to be more responsible with our water utilization.

Mars had water too.

ya and they still do, they would still have all of it if they didnt lose thier atmosphere, apples and oranges.

[Crispy]

This was the headline on one of our local online news websites today in response to the current water shortages we are experiencing on our country.

I have inserted a link to the article and hope this is not against the rules - if it is, mods, please forgive me and delete.

You should never have to wash a car. Ever. | Wheels24

Here is the text from the article.

I'd really like to hear everyone's thoughts on this

South Africa is a preciously water scarce country with the tremendous demands on this resource from a not at all insignificant population number and significant industrialisation.

During extreme weather fluctuations, such as the current drought in Cape Town, resource allocation of water becomes critical. It’s why Capetonians are not allowed to wash their cars with municipal water anymore.

As an automotive enthusiast this troubles me greatly. The ban on car washing. Because, in principle, you shouldn’t ever have to wash a modern car. It’s a water resource problem most avoidable.
Cars are painted for two reasons
We’re drawing from the empty well of ill-considered industrial design. Cars are painted for two reasons: product differentiation and oxidisation prevention. Plainly? We paint them to give car-buyers the illusion of individualisation (think Smartphone covers) and protect them from rust. Which are both ridiculously outdated design principles.

The environmental cost of painting a car is scandalous. It’s the most toxic and involved element of any automotive assembly operation, with rampant cost implications to adhere to pollution prevention best practices. So unnecessary.

Compounding the issue is a design fallacy of painting cars in the brightest gloss finishes imaginable, which make them contrast hugely with the earth tones of their driven environment. Unsurprisingly, they appear dirty all the time and burden you with the expectation of washing with water. Smeg kitchen accessories are disarmingly attractive in their bold lacquer finishes, but you keep a Smeg inside, not out on the street where dust, grime and grease can attach to it, ruining the aesthetic.
Aluminium doesn’t require a speckle of paint
There is no sound design or engineering reason to paint a modern car. When all cars were steel, yes, the layer of paint was part decorative, but crucial to counter rust.

In the good year of 2017 many cars have an exterior comprising aluminium panels – and this is a metal that doesn’t rust. True, it can suffer galvanic oxidation when put in contact with another metal, creating metal fatigue over time, but if you treat the aluminium with electrocoating, and consider the material composition of bolts used, it’s fine. And aluminium doesn’t require a speckle of paint to last a very long time.
Imagine that. Cars finished in raw aluminium. Obviously you wouldn’t want to polish them to a brilliant finish in a sunlight generous country like South Africa, to avoid distracting road glare to other drivers. But, if modern cars were finished in faded earth tones, with an anodised finish, they would never appear dirty due to their convergent hue with the dominant natural colours of the environment surrounding them.

You could dry wipe really unsightly stains off your car but you’d never need to fill bucket after bucket to wash it, and hose off, before arduously having to wipe in the hope of preventing water streaks.
It’s unnecessary madness, these decorative cars with their outlandish paint finishes. There is a better way.
Technology has evolved

Whereas for many decades Land Rover Defenders were the only aluminium automotive options, finding a steel surface car that is not a heavy duty bakkie in the contemporary market is rare. And even the paragon of toughness, the bakkie, no longer requires steel as its primary surfaced material.

Ford’s F-150 series, which is on a balance of averages the world’s best selling vehicle, is now aluminium skinned, not steel – to save weight and improve its longevity with superior corrosion resistance.

Technology has evolved. Wouldn’t it be great if we could safeguard our water supply and indulge our love of car culture, by removing the paint from most new ones – which are aluminium underneath, and therefore in no need of enamel?

Imagine the creativity yielded by this guilt-free automotive ownership status – and of all those vinyl artworks or embossed designs you could apply to your raw or anodised aluminium car for individualization instead.

What a load.

That's like saying you shouldn"t boil things because you are wasting water.

Sure droughts cause hardship, but they have since the beginig of time.

To sugest everyone would accept "earth tone cars" is not only unrealistic, it's not very smart.

Do you know how much water is used to make aluminum?

Painted cars are here for ever.

[swanicyouth]

I agree with the article. We shouldn't wash cars. Actually, humans waste a whole lot more water washing themselves, flushing toilettes, and washing their clothes.

Personally, I stopped showering and washing my clothes sometime around 2001. My clothes are filthy, I'm filthy, and my cars are filthy.

Instead of wasting all that water flushing, just do what I do - use your backyard as a toilet. It's good for the environment - and actually what nature intended.

[Setec Astronomy]

Do you know how much water is used to make aluminum?

No, how much?

[fightnews]

I agree with the article. We shouldn't wash cars. Actually, humans waste a whole lot more water washing themselves, flushing toilettes, and washing their clothes.

Personally, I stopped showering and washing my clothes sometime around 2001. My clothes are filthy, I'm filthy, and my cars are filthy.

Instead of wasting all that water flushing, just do what I do - use your backyard as a toilet. It's good for the environment - and actually what nature intended.

we should be using salt water for flushing