Removing inefficient cars from the roads was literally the point of the program. You're saying the program worked exactly as intended

I get it, but old cars are also much less efficient even than modern ICE cars, so if the goal is to facilitate a transition into EVs and hybrids it might make some sense. The obvious issue with that is that there is also an environmental cost to making new cars to replace all the old cars, and I personally don't know how that pencils out compared to keeping people in older, inefficient cars, even if they have a pretty limited lifespan anyway....

I guess I'm kind of torn on it. Personally I'd love to move away form my 2014 BMW which makes about 18mpg on average.

Cash for clunkers was a way to prop up car companies that had already been bailed out.