In a surprising shift in the global automotive landscape, sport utility vehicles (SUVs) have surged ahead in sales, outpacing electric vehicles (EVs) across Europe and other major markets. The International Energy Agency (IEA) reported that in 2024, SUVs accounted for 54% of all cars sold worldwide, signaling a strong preference for these larger vehicles. This trend has raised concerns among environmentalists and policymakers due to the impact on decarbonisation efforts.
The United Kingdom's Parliament climate change committee identified SUVs as significant contributors to the country's carbon emissions, a sentiment echoed by the IEA, which noted that 95% of SUVs on the road are powered by fossil fuels. Despite this, the popularity of SUVs continues to grow, with sales increasing by 3 percentage points from 2023 and 5 percentage points from the year before.
China leads the global market in SUV sales, with nearly 11.6 million units sold in 2024. Following China are the United States, India, and Germany, all witnessing significant sales figures. This surge in SUV sales comes at a time when standard-sized EV sales have seen a decline in major markets like Japan and Germany. Furthermore, the growth rate of EV sales in India has slowed considerably.
The IEA reported that over 20% of SUVs sold in 2023 were fully electric, a notable increase from just 2% in 2018. However, the overall impact of SUVs on global carbon emissions remains significant. Road transport is responsible for more than 12% of global carbon emissions, and SUVs have exacerbated this issue by consuming approximately 600,000 more barrels of oil per day globally between 2022 and 2023.
SUVs are known to burn 20% more fuel than medium-sized petrol and diesel cars and weigh up to 300 kilograms more on average. This has prompted criticism from environmental advocates who argue that the trend toward heavier vehicles undermines progress made in reducing emissions elsewhere in the passenger car fleet.
"The trend toward heavier and less efficient vehicles such as SUVs (in countries where it is happening) has largely nullified the improvements in energy consumption and emissions achieved elsewhere in the world's passenger car fleet," – IEA
The automotive industry suggests that consumer demand is driving this shift towards SUVs. Mike Hawes commented on the practicality and comfort of SUVs, which appeal to many drivers:
"Manufacturers respond to consumer demand and, increasingly, drivers are attracted to dual purpose vehicles given their practicality, comfort and good view of the road," – Mike Hawes
However, there is also a counter-argument that industry marketing has played a crucial role in shaping consumer preferences. Dudley Curtis pointed out the influence of advertising campaigns in boosting SUV demand:
"It is the industry that has driven the demand through huge marketing and advertising campaigns in recent years," – Dudley Curtis
Moreover, SUVs provide manufacturers with an opportunity to charge more for vehicles with similar functionality to smaller cars:
"SUVs offered the industry a simple way of charging more for a vehicle that does the same thing" – Dudley Curtis
Despite these challenges, there is a silver lining as manufacturers introduce more zero-emission SUV models. These vehicles can offer longer battery ranges that alleviate consumer concerns about charging infrastructure.
"Around two in five of these new vehicle models are zero emission as their body type lends itself well to electrification with longer battery range that can reassure consumers concerned about charging accessibility," – Mike Hawes
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