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Governments and car manufacturers present electric cars as the future of green mobility. But there’s a less visible trend that calls this narrative into question: electric cars are getting bigger.
The International Energy Agency recently reported that energy models larger dimensionsincluding sport utility vehicles (SUV), are taking up a significant share of electric car markets.
In China, the Electric SUVs represented more than 60% of electric car sales in 2025. In Europe, they corresponded to almost 75% of models trams sold in 2025. In the USA, the percentage was even higher, exceeding 85%.
As emissions from combustion SUVs are now so high that if every SUV was a country, would be among the five largest emitters global CO₂ levels, support Keyvan Hosseini e Dawn-Marie Walkerresearchers from the University of Southampton, in an article in .
Or problem two SUV is not limited to emissions from your tailpipe. It’s also in your dimensions, weightin cost and in the way they reinforce lifestyles car dependent.
Os Electric SUVs reduce emissions compared to gasoline and diesel SUVs, but continue to demand bigger batteries, more raw materialsmore power and more road space than smaller electric cars.
An electric vehicle, whether SUV or light vehicle, always produces less pollution than the corresponding combustion model. But the problem with trams, say Hosseini and Walker, is that they are getting bigger.
Your Greater weight contributes to pollution resulting from wear on tires, brakes and road surfaces, including fine particles associated with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Larger vehicles can also make most dangerous streetsespecially for children.
One based on accident data in Great Britain concluded that children aged 0 to 18 years hit by SUVs rather than passenger cars had a 77% higher probability to suffer fatal injuries. In children under 9 years of age, the probability is more than 3 times higher.
When roads are dominated by heavy private cars, walking and cycling become less attractive, even for short, everyday trips.
This is important because active mobility, such as walking and cyclingis one of the simplest ways to integrate physical activity into your daily routineproducing little or no direct carbon emissions.
Streets dominated by automobiles affect people unequally. Households with lower incomes are less likely to buy new electric cars, but remain exposed to trafficthe danger, noise and pollution they generate.
This is why the transition to green mobility must be measured by more than the number of electric cars sold. It must also be judged by its ability to reduce car dependence and to create healthier and fairer streets.
Avoid, transfer, improve
The new work by the two researchers, published in the magazine Energy Economicsuse or framework “avoid-transfer-improve” to assess the decarbonization of transport.
Avoidance means reducing the need to travel unnecessary cars through measures such as teleworking, compact urban development and better access to local services.
Transfer means moving trips remaining to lower carbon and healthier modes of transport, such as walking, cycling, using public transport and using bike and car sharing.
To improve means making the vehicles that are still needed cleaner, lighter and more efficient in energy terms, including through electrification.
This order is important. If public policy jumps directly to the improvement phase, it could reduce emissions per kilometer but leave the broader system intact.
A city full of electric SUVs may not have exhaust emissionsbut continue to suffer from congestion, road insecurity, inactive travel, unequal access, non-exhaust pollution and streets dominated by large private vehicles.
Too big to be green?
In the study, the model proposed by the two researchers uses SUV license plates as a undesirable indicator of decarbonization of transport. Your growth counters the transition to smaller carslighter and more energy efficient.
Vehicles larger and more expensive can deepen dependence Automobile: After people invest in an expensive car, switch to non-automotive modes of transportation It may seem like a loss.
The growth of SUVs illustrates this phenomenon. Larger vehicles are promoted as safer, more comfortable and more desirable.
Advertising presents them as symbols of freedom, family protection and status, helping to make big cars seem normal and necessary, even when smaller carswhether better transportation options could satisfy many day-to-day needs.
This comes into conflict with climate objectives of the United Kingdom and the European Union, which prioritize reducing emissions, improving public health and providing easier access to sustainable transport.
There are practical alternatives. Public policy can support smaller, lighter, more affordable electric cars where cars continue to be needed.
They can also make it possible to travel on foot, by bicycle and on public transport in easier choices for everyday travel. This means protected bike lanes, safe sidewalks, reliable buses, neighborhoods with less traffic, and road pricing that reflects the costs associated with the space occupied, weight, and pollution of larger vehicles.
These measures do not aim to blame drivers. They are good for health, equity and the climate. Many people need a carespecially in rural areas and poorly served by transport.
But the main objective should be to reduce unnecessary car dependence, do not replace all gasoline SUVs with electric SUVs.
The future of transport It shouldn’t just be electric. It should be lighterhealthier, more accessible and less dependent on the car.
