AUTONEWS

Cars are getting bigger (and more popular): why is this a problem?

Critics call the phenomenon carspreading — a reference to the English term manspreading, which defines the controversial practice of men sitting with their legs wide open on public transport.

In the United Kingdom and across Europe, cars are getting bigger and heavier.

Consumers certainly like this very much. Large cars are considered practical, safe, beautiful, and their sales are growing.

But why have some cities decided to fight them? Do they have that right? The French capital, Paris, is famous for many things. Its monuments, such as the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe. Its wide, tree-lined avenues and boulevards. Its museums and art galleries. Its beautiful cuisine. And its chaotic traffic.

For the past 20 years, municipal authorities have been trying to address the problem by creating low-traffic, low-emission zones, as well as promoting the use of bicycles and public transport. And recently, cracking down on the use of large cars.

In October 2024, on-street parking fees for "heavy" vehicles from outside the capital tripled after a public vote. The price rose from 6 to 18 euros per hour in the city center and from 75 to 225 euros for six hours.

"The bigger the car, the more it pollutes," declared Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo before the vote. She argues that the new restrictions "accelerate the environmental transition, combating air pollution."

A few months later, the city hall declared that the number of very heavy cars parked on the city's streets had fallen by two-thirds.

In various parts of the world, other cities are observing these measures. Including in the United Kingdom.

The Cardiff council in Wales has already decided to increase the cost of parking cars weighing more than 2,400 kg, the equivalent of about two Ford Fiestas.

Controlled by the Labour Party, the local government declared that "these heavier vehicles typically generate more emissions, cause greater wear and tear on the roads and, most importantly, represent a significantly higher risk in the event of traffic collisions."

Initially, the higher fees will only apply to a small minority of vehicle models. But Cardiff plans to reduce the weight limit over time. And other municipalities are studying similar measures.

But many owners say they need the large cars.

Matt Mansell is a father of three and lives in Guildford, in southern England. He owns a technology company and a construction company.

Mansell says he needs his Land Rover Defender 110 to transport his children and clients.

"I need to have enough space for the children, with all their gear," he explains. "And you can also fit a door or three meters of pipes in it. It's practically a utility vehicle, but presentable."

Undoubtedly, cars in the UK and on the European continent are getting bigger over the years.

Since 2018, the average width of new models sold here has increased from 182 cm to 187.5 cm, according to data from Thatcham Research, an organization that evaluates new cars on behalf of the insurance sector.

The average weight also increased during the same period from 1,365 kg to 1,592 kg. But this is not a recent phenomenon.

Data compiled by the International Council for Clean Transportation shows that the average width of cars on the European market increased by about 10 cm between 2001 and 2020, while the length grew by more than 19 cm.

Critics argue that this trend is worrying, as there is simply not enough space on the congested and often narrow roads of the United Kingdom, nor in city centers.

The minimum standard width of a parking space on the streets in many places is 1 meter and 80 cm.

But figures published by the green transport advocacy group T&E indicate that, in the first half of 2023, the width of more than half of the 100 best-selling cars in the UK was slightly greater.

And there is the dizzying increase in the popularity of sport utility vehicles (SUVs). These are cars loosely based on off-road vehicles, in many cases with cosmetic similarities. And they lack some of the characteristics of off-road vehicles, such as four-wheel drive.

The vast majority of SUVs will never leave the asphalt. In the UK, they are called "Chelsea tractors," in reference to the London borough. In Brazil, they have received the affectionate nickname "mother's car."

There are many different designs on the market, such as utility vehicles that can actually travel off-road. Others are refined status symbols, and many models are designed for family transportation.

But they all have one thing in common: size.

Even the smaller versions, closer to conventional cars, are usually taller and wider than regular cars.

In 2011, SUVs represented 13.2% of the market in 27 European countries, according to the automotive research company Dataforce GmbH. By 2025, their market share had increased to 59%.

The editor of Autocar magazine, Rachel Burgess, believes that size is precisely the reason for their popularity.

"Everyone who has bought an SUV that I've spoken to over the years has said they like being higher up, having better visibility, and feeling safer on larger roads and highways," she said.

"Often, people with children find it easier to get them in and out of the car with that higher height. And also, for people with less mobility, it's much easier to get in and out of an SUV than a lower car."

Lucia Barbato lives in West Sussex, in southeast England. She says her second-hand Lexus RX450 hybrid SUV is essential for transporting her large family in an area with limited public transport.

She runs a marketing agency from home and drives her three children to the bus stop every day so they can go to school.

"On a Monday morning with three boys, three school bags, three sports kits and a trumpet thrown in the trunk, there's no room in the car even for the dog," exclaims Barbato.

Higher profit margin? The popularity of SUVs doesn't just apply to the big automakers.

Porsche, for example, is famous for its compact sports cars, but the Cayenne SUV and the Macan crossover are its best-selling models.

The Bentayga SUV accounted for 44% of Bentley's sales last year. And Lamborghini increasingly relies on its four-wheel-drive Urus.

In concrete terms, consumers clearly love SUVs. And automakers are very happy to meet this demand.

After all, producing larger cars can be more profitable, according to David Leggett, editor of the industrial intelligence website Just Auto.

"Profit margins are generally much higher for larger, higher-priced cars," he explains. "This is mainly due to the laws of manufacturing economy."

Leggett indicates that there are fundamental costs involved in building any automobile. These include factory operation, design work, and the price of key components.

But, with small cars, these costs can represent a higher share of the selling price, he says.

JATO Dynamics consultant Daniele Ministeri states that many SUVs are closely related to conventional cars and employ the same basic structures.

"For some models, the main differences are limited to factors such as body style and suspension and seating position, which allows SUVs to be sold at higher prices without proportional cost increases," he explains.

Safety...In some cases, even conventional cars are getting bigger. The current Volkswagen Golf, for example, is 18 cm wider and 26 cm longer than its original version, launched in Europe in the 1970s. And it is also hundreds of kilograms heavier.

"If we look at the beginning of the 21st century...safety programs, such as the European NCAP, were beginning to convey the safety message to consumers. And smaller vehicles, in fact, couldn't absorb the energy of a collision very well," says Thatcham Research's principal safety engineer, Alex Thompson.

"As safety measures increased, it became necessary to add some weight to vehicles to reinforce the safety compartments, which weren't very strong back then."

"Manufacturers needed to take measures such as improving structural protection against collisions and installing more airbags," agrees David Leggett.

"At the same time, they want to increase the interior cabin space and include new features. The result is increased pressure for vehicles with larger dimensions."

Larger cars may be safer for their occupants, but critics argue they are far less safe for other road users.

"Whether you're in another car or a pedestrian, your likelihood of suffering serious injury in a collision with one of these vehicles is higher," says Tim Dexter, vehicle policy manager at T&E. He is also concerned about the consequences for cyclists.

A 2023 study by the Belgian Vias Institute, dedicated to improving road safety, indicated that a 10 cm increase in the height of a car's hood can increase the risk of death for vulnerable road users by 27% in the event of a collision.

T&E also highlights its concern that high hoods can create blind spots.

Alex Thompson points out that taller cars increase the likelihood of injuring pedestrians and cyclists, but he emphasizes that vehicle design in recent years has "really prioritized" the protection of vulnerable road users.

Some manufacturers, for example, have included external airbags in their vehicles.

Regarding environmental impacts, the International Energy Agency stated that, "despite advances in fuel efficiency and electrification, the trend toward using heavier and less efficient vehicles, such as SUVs, which are responsible for about 20% more emissions than a mid-size car, has virtually negated the improvements in energy consumption and emissions achieved by the passenger car fleet in other parts of the world in recent decades."

The transition to electric vehicles, at least, should significantly reduce daily use emissions over time. But, if the electricity used to power them is generated using fossil fuels, such as gas, larger cars may still pollute more per vehicle than smaller ones.

And other concerns regarding the weight and size of vehicles still apply. In fact, since electric cars generally weigh significantly more than their gasoline- or diesel-powered equivalents, certain problems may be amplified.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders claims that 40% of SUVs now have zero emissions.

Its chief executive, Mike Hawes, previously stated that total carbon dioxide emissions from new SUVs have fallen to less than half since 2000, "helping the segment lead the decarbonization of mobility on British roads."

Penalties, taxes and the French model...But, if it is necessary to crack down on these vehicles in the United Kingdom, one option is the measures that have already been taken on the other side of the English Channel. France has already created higher registration taxes for cars weighing more than 1,600 kg.

Currently, this increase means an additional 10 euros for each excess kg. And this value increases in tiers, reaching 30 euros per kg above 2,100 kg. This measure only applies to a relatively small portion of current models (and electric vehicles are excluded), but it can add up to €70,000 to the cost of buying a new car.

T&E advocates for the creation of a similar tax in the United Kingdom. According to Tim Dexter, "currently, the UK is a tax haven for these large vehicles."

"We know the impact they have on roads, communities, and potentially individuals. It's simply fair that they pay a little more."

David Leggett believes it's possible to encourage people to buy smaller vehicles, especially for city use. He believes "there are opportunities to adjust tax regimes to make smaller cars relatively attractive."

But ensuring the availability of small cars in sufficient quantities on the market may be difficult.

"There will always be a market for low-cost, easily maneuverable cars in urban areas," says Leggett, "but manufacturing them profitably is a huge challenge."

But several small electric vehicles, with relatively low prices, have recently arrived on the market.

These include the BYD Dolphin Surf; the Leapmotor International T03; the Hyundai Inster; and the new Renault 5. They will soon be joined by the Kia EV2 and the Volkswagen ID Polo.

But, at the moment, SUVs remain firmly in the lead.

"Clearly, people want SUVs and I'm not sure what the response to that will be," says Rachel Burgress. "But small cars are coming back, as the industry has learned to make money with small cars in the electric world."

"I believe everything is cyclical and that trends come and go in all sectors of life, including automobiles. SUVs won't exist forever."

https://www.bbc.com/portuguese/articles/czxp00kg8kwo

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