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This is another example of "false economy". Wiring in cars, in terms of the weight of copper, may actually be less than it was 15 years ago, because of distributed intelligence and better initial design. The CAN network alone saves a lot of control wiring - and the maze of control wiring is usually the part that drives everyone crazy.
A much better idea would be design for disassembly (which isn't always hand in hand with design for assembly), where separating all the raw materials would be easier. A spectacular amount of energy goes into producing a car. The replacement of a 20MPG, 10 year old car with a 30MPG car doesn't necessarily save "society" as much as you would think in the big picture.
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