The tide is set to turn against SUVs
Okay, this is a bit of a punt given the velocity of the marketplace, but surely the moment is coming when the contradiction between everyone rushing to buy bigger, heavier, less aerodynamic cars and the need to cut emissions for the health of both humans and the planet crystallises?
The statistics now are nuts: reports by environmental groups suggest that 75% of SUVs are bought by people living exclusively in towns and cities, the very areas where the problems of pollution are most acute. From the driver’s seat it may all make perfect sense (although even that is debatable given that their prevalence means they now bestow no real visibility benefits), but even hypocrites have to look in the mirror eventually.
Mitigations? Frankly, there are very few, although the argument that electric cars are inherently better packaged as high-riders holds some sway, given the designers’ need to factor in a chunky battery pack, and the environment will be better protected by car makers replacing must-have combustion cars with must-have electric designs. Even then it’s hard not to conclude that a once-in-a-generation shift warrants some freshness of thought rather than rehashing a well-worn groove to play to the crowd. The glaring if uncomfortable truth here is that customers need to think harder and car designers need to try harder – and both sides need to stop blaming each other for leading them on. For most, although far from all, applications, the SUV is a farce. And the joke is on us all.
ARE THESE PEOPLE NUTS?
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