Assume an automotive component operates continuously 24 hours a day for 15 years. Approximately how many hours is its total operating time?

Answer: C. About 130,000 hours

A year is about 8,760 hours, so 15 years is 8,760 × 15 = 131,400 hours, or about 130,000 hours. Electronic components in passenger cars are often designed around a service life of about 15 years, requiring longer lifetimes than consumer equipment. However, for a car driven 2 hours a day, driving time over 15 years comes to only about 11,000 hours. Operating time differs by an order of magnitude depending on whether the component also operates while parked or charging, so it is important to define concrete usage conditions when setting test conditions.