71% of Indian consumers upgrade to less carbon-intensive cars through secondhand trade: OLX Study

The primary consumer research undertaken by OLX showed that 71 percent of interviewed people that bought a secondhand car, switched to a car with lower emissions per driven kilometer, resulting in a 14 percent reduction of combustion emissions per kilometer, on average.

OLX's research report showcases the potential of secondhand car trade in reducing
carbon emissions from the transportation sector in India. The report, which is based
on a Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) and primary consumer research, highlights the
significant contribution of secondhand car trade to decarbonise India's vehicle fleet
and build a more sustainable economy.

According to the LCA research, on average, 86 percent of emissions over the lifetime of an average Indian car are emitted during the use of the car and production of the fuel, in contrast to just 14 percent during the manufacturing and disposal of the car. Additionally, within the transport sector, 45 percent of emissions stem from passenger transport. Specifically in India, transport ranks third on emissions, but is growing fast given India’s relatively small fleet size per capita in a country with a strong population growth.

OLX CEO Amit Kumar said this research offered a starting point that showed the potential of second-hand car trade for building a sustainable economy. "We believe that secondhand car trade can help improve a car fleet's average fuel efficiency through the faster adoption of newer cars with high fuel economy", he added. 

Decarbonising the transport sector is crucial for India's clean energy journey, as the country aims to be a net zero emissions economy by 2070.