The negative impact on the climate from passenger vehicles, which is considerable, could have dropped by more than 30% over the past decade if not for the world’s appetite for large cars, a new report from the Global Fuel Economy Initiative suggests.
Sport utility vehicles, or SUVs, now account for more than half of all new car sales across the globe, the group said, and it’s not alone. The International Energy Agency, using a narrower definition of SUV, estimates they make up nearly half.
Over the years these cars have gotten bigger and so has their cost to the climate, as carbon dioxide emissions “are almost directly proportional to fuel use” for gas-powered cars. The carbon that goes in at the pump comes out the tailpipe.
Transportation is responsible for around one-quarter of all the climate-warming gases that come from energy, and much of that is attributable to passenger transport, according to the International Energy Agency.
Are we so confident this change is due to consumer preference rather than manufacturer availability?
Small cars are less profitable.
Small cars are also regulated away. The bigger the car the easier it is in the US to make it pass emissions standards. Literally the law designed to push for more gas efficient cars results in larger, less gas efficient cars.
I prefer smaller cars. Every once in a while I browse what’s available in new cars. Every time there are fewer and fewer options in the compact/sub compact category. I guess I’m just going to hope nothing ever happens to my Civic (which is honestly larger than I’d wish) because I don’t know what I’d replace it with.
Of course giant vehicles as a share of sales is going to increase, when that’s 75%+ of what is available to buy.
There are almost no truly small cars available in the U.S. The only recent one I can think of is the Smart, and they’re pieces of shit.
I was going to say the Ford Fiesta but then I saw it was apparently axed in 2019? And took the Mazda 3 with it (same platform). I think you can still get the Honda Fit.
Uh, as your attorney I advise you to buy a Miata. I guess.
I used to love mini coopers because they’re tiny. Apparently not even that’s true any more :(
Yep, Mini Coopers are quite popular in my neighborhood. They used to be a dream car for me, but now they are just as big as everything else.
