March 7, 2023–A new analysis from the International Energy Agency (IEA) has found that SUVs are disproportionately contributing to carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and could be a roadblock toward achieving future emissions goals, according to Green Car Reports.
The IEA’s analysis found that “global CO2 emissions from SUVs reached nearly 1.1 billion tons in 2022, overshadowing increased sales from electric cars.”
A large reason for this is due to SUVs having a larger need for oil consumption. Between 2021 and 2022, “SUV-related oil consumption rose by 500,000 barrels per day,” with conventional cars staying roughly the same. The IEA said that SUVs accounted for “one-third of the total growth in oil demand.”
An IEA statement lays out preemptive solutions to the SUV problem as being “downsizing of the average car size; increasing battery swapping; and investing in innovative battery technologies.”
Though SUVs have been built to consume less fuel over the years, their “added weight and poorer aerodynamics compared to sedans, hatchbacks, and wagons” make them inefficient vehicles.
Though some, such as Citroën CEO Vincent Cobée, believe that the transition to EVs will put an end to consumers’ want for SUVs, there are still factors motivating manufacturers to build them, such as the U.S. federal government’s Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) regulations.
