SUVs are setting new sales records each year – and so are their emissions

Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) are setting new sales records each year – and so are their emissions. SUVs, large, heavy, passenger vehicles, were responsible for over 20% of the growth in global energy-related CO2 emissions last year. SUVs accounted for 48% of global car sales in 2023, reaching a new record and further strengthening the defining automobile trend of the early 21st century – the shift towards ever larger and heavier cars. There are various driving forces behind this trend, from the appeal of SUVs as a status symbol and their potential enhancements in comfort, to the marketing strategies of leading automakers.