No one who walks, cycles or drives around London, or many of the world’s big cities, could fail to notice the vastly increased size of the typical car. A type of vehicle once associated with rural settings and outdoor lifestyles is now ubiquitous. Heavily marketed as sports utility vehicles (SUVs), supersize cars are among the key consumer trends of recent decades. In 2022, they accounted for 46% of global new car sales.
For manufacturers, these vehicles are big earners due to higher profit margins. For those inside them, they offer more space and a higher vantage point. But for those on the outside, SUVs have obvious downsides. The threat that they pose to pedestrians is one. Research shows that children are 77% more likely to die if struck by an SUV compared with other cars, due to their size and structure – particularly their raised bonnets. This finding was highlighted in an announcement from the London mayor, Sir Sadiq Khan, that such risks are being scrutinised as part of a wider review into SUVs’ environmental impact. This evidence will provide the basis for policy proposals that are expected to include higher charges for owners.
SUVs also take up far more physical space than most cars. Between 2021 and 2025, about 4.6m cars that are bigger than a typical parking space were sold in the UK. Londoners have yet to be consulted on what should be done about this. But the public response in other cities suggests that many people are unhappy with the trend. In Cardiff, 66% of respondents to a council survey said that SUV owners should pay more for parking permits. In Paris, a majority supported the tripling of parking fees in a 2024 referendum.
These are the places that Sir Sadiq can learn from, along with Helsinki and Oslo, which have both achieved huge reductions in road deaths and serious injuries. After the rollout of the London-wide ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) in 2023, which led to significant air quality improvements, the mayor knows that it pays to be bold. While changes in regulations inevitably cause short-term disruption, and politicians can never please everyone, past experience shows that most Londoners can be persuaded to cooperate with schemes that make their city cleaner and safer. Further reductions of speed limits are also expected, with enlarged 20mph zones and new restrictions on faster roads.
Most newer SUVs are compliant with Ulez, but their large carbon footprints over their lifetimes, including manufacture, are a problem that needs addressing by central government. According to the International Energy Agency, SUVs consume about 20% more oil than medium-sized cars, and their popularity has cancelled out global gains from improved energy efficiency since 1990 – even though about 20% of new models are electric.
Ministers should re-examine a system under which new SUVs are taxed far less heavily than in many European countries. The green transition should include a tax system that pays attention to the environment. Such financial nudges will never change everyone’s behaviour. But they are an important tool, as are local parking and congestion charges. Sir Sadiq knows this, and is right to signal that he intends to use the levers that are available to him. The conversation about the UK’s growing number of giant cars needs to accelerate.
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