<
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/nov/24/motor-emissions-could-have-fallen-without-suv-trend-report>
"Emissions from the motor sector could have fallen 30% more between 2010 and
2022 if vehicles had stayed the same size, a report has found.
Instead, the size of the average car ballooned as the trend for SUVs took off,
meaning the global annual rate of energy intensity reductions – the fall in
fuel used – of light-duty vehicles (LDV) averaged 4.2% between 2020 and 2022.
A report by the Global Fuel Economy Initiative (GFEI) showed SUVs now
represented a majority of the new car market (51%), and the average LDV weight
had reached an all-time high of more than 1.5 tonnes.
Cars are also getting bigger, with the average footprint of a new model
reaching 4.2 sq metres. Automotive companies market SUVs intensively as they
provide the most profit: they are sold at premium prices but have a
proportionally lower manufacturing cost.
The authors of the report called for governments to place restrictions on
vehicle sizes to reverse the SUV trend.
Sheila Watson, the deputy director of the FIA Foundation, an environmental and
road safety charity, said: “Growing vehicle size is a huge problem which is
threatening many aspects of sustainable mobility, from climate to road safety.
This report shows that we must move away from these mega-vehicles if we are to
achieve the GFEI goal of doubling the fuel efficiency of cars by 2030. Vehicle
size matters – and in this case bigger is definitely not better.”"
Via Diane A.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
