Sensible choices

Newer cars, alternative power sources

Kamux supports the national energy and climatestrategies and emission reduction targets. We renew Finland’s car stock by importing newer cars with lower CO₂ emissions compared to the average car currently used on Finnish roads.

Transportation accounts for approximately a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions both in Europe and globally (European Comission and SLOCAT Transport and Climate Change Global Status Report). As for global road transportation emissions, passenger car transportation accounts for approximately 41 percent (statista.com). In Finland, greenhouse gas emissions related to transportation have decreased by approximately 13 percent between 2005 and 2019 (Liikennefakta). The CO2 emissions of the car manufacturing industry are high as well, so existing vehicles should be used sensibly for the whole extent of their life-cycle and the remaining materials should be reused within the circular economy.

Kamux offers its customers a broad selection of cars, including low-emission combustion engine cars utilizing new technology as well as alternative power sources. However, the disposable income of households and people’s driving needs and places of residence determine the car choices people make as well as the price category of the vehicles most people can purchase.

Even though the relative use of alternative power sources is increasing, the absolute quantities are still fairly low, and the European car stock changes slowly. In Finland, the average age of passenger cars registered or in traffic use has risen since 2007 (Statistics Finland).

Promoting circular economy

We carry out used car retail by purchasing cars through our sourcing network and from individual consumers and by selling them forward. Cars are always purchased following Kamux’s procurement guidelines. In 2021, we carried out maintenance
and repair measures and equipment upgrades to 52 percent (56) of the cars sold to ensure that their usability is as good as possible, taking into account the age of the car. This also supports the usability of the car considering its remaining
reasonable life-cycle.

Efficient operation

We use resources sensibly and expect the same from our partners. The most significant climate impacts of our operations result from moving cars between showrooms. We seek to optimize the transportation of cars through the selection of routes and transportation modes. By investing in leading with knowledge, we aim to combine supply and demand. Thus, we can place the cars in our showrooms in a way that minimizes transferring them. We have instructed our personnel on driving in an economical and environmentally conscious way. The cars are fueled with only the necessary amount of fuel. Kamux’s fuel consumption in 2021 was 32 liters (29) per car sold.

Service, repair, and cleaning are done by local partners to avoid unnecessary driving. This is also a way of supporting businesses to provide employment across the country in all of Kamux’s operating countries. We have approximately five thousand partners in total, including car procurement channels and partners.

We use recycled spare parts of high quality when possible. For example, motors, gear systems, turbos, steering gears, and other larger spare parts are mainly rebuilt. Smaller spare parts are new. We expect that our partners recycle their waste such as batteries, tires, and problem waste appropriately.

We minimize the amount of waste and recycle the waste we produce. We pay Finnish Car Recycling a yearly membership fee related to recycling car parts appropriately. We favor recycled furniture when furnishing our office premises. In 2021, the amount of waste totaled 37.14 tons (25.86). The waste recovery rate was 83% (95), and the recycling rate was 10% (12). The amount of waste and the waste recovery rate are affected by the volume of operations as well as fluctuations in waste component volumes. The information for 2021 covers all 50 showrooms in Finland (45). We restrain energy consumption in showrooms, focusing particularly on properties where we can directly influence the used energy solutions.

Both climate matters and mobility are prominent on the agenda of governments, companies, and consumers. The share of alternative power sources in new cars is growing, which also impacts used car retail. Kamux renews the car fleet and offers a wide selection of cars using alternative power sources, also importing them to Finland from elsewhere in Europe.

A customer can get acquainted with several car makes and models conveniently in the showrooms and online channels. We have wanted to introduce a particularly extensive selection in a few of our showrooms. Our shop-in-shop concept Kamux
Green offers hybrid, electric, and natural gas cars under one roof. Kamux Green shops are available in four of our showrooms, and we are looking for opportunities to expand the concept.

At the moment, a hybrid engine vehicle is a viable choice for many. Electricity reduces the fuel consumption of the vehicle, which is economical and reduces emissions. In terms of fully electric cars, motorists are considering the driving range of the car in relation to their own everyday needs.

We have an up-to-date alternative power source selection. We encourage our customers to ask questions and test different options. What matters most is that each chosen vehicle is suitable for the needs of the customer.