this post was submitted on 16 Oct 2023
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The increasing popularity of ultra-heavy SUVs in England means a conventional-engined car bought in 2013 will, on average, have lower carbon emissions than one bought new today, new research has found.

The study by the climate campaign group Possible said there was a strong correlation between income and owning a large SUV, which meant there was a sound argument for “polluter pays” taxes for vehicle emissions based on size.

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[–] DeathWearsANecktie@lemm.ee 56 points 2 years ago (3 children)

Emissions aside, those big SUVs are so ugly and unnecessary for your average driver.

[–] paintbucketholder@lemmy.world 26 points 2 years ago

It's also such a race to outsize other vehicles.

I know SUV drivers who bought an SUV because "everyone owns an SUV, and if you're driving around in a smaller car, you can't see anything around you any more." They're not even wrong, in some communities it's getting really hard to participate in traffic of you're constantly surrounded by much larger, taller cars on all sides.

But of course, they're now just perpetuating the problem.

[–] GreatAlbatross@feddit.uk 17 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Not to mention that they require no additional driver training.
You can pass your test in a Ford Ka, then hop in a 2 tonne range rover the next day.

[–] JokeDeity@lemm.ee 5 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I've never even considered that, but it is wild. Like those grandmothers who have spent 60 years driving tiny little cars and then one day their family gets them a fucking tank to drive around in and they suddenly start putting everyone's lives at risk because they have zero experience behind the wheel of a vehicle that's at least double the size of what they drove their entire life beforehand.

[–] Rambler@lemm.ee 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Good point. Let's make every new passer drive an old banger for a year - I'm absolutely fed up of monkey-lipped young girls forcing me to my side of the road because they can't fucking negotiate the width of their fucking tractors!

Sorry for the rant, but I drive a classic - and it fucking riles me - every day ! I used to enjoy driving - now it's a daily nightmare.

[–] JokeDeity@lemm.ee 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

What does monkey-lipped mean, I've literally never heard that phrase?

[–] Rambler@lemm.ee 3 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I'm just having a pick at the fashion of overly botoxed lips.

[–] Qxzkjp@feddit.uk 2 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

What you're describing is actually collagen filler, not botox. If you botoxed your lips you'd end up with a serious speech impediment for a few months. Back in the day we used to call it the "Leslie Ash special", after a celeb who had a particularly disasterous one done.

[–] Rambler@lemm.ee 1 points 2 years ago

Never heard of that special. Thanks for the correction though.

[–] Flax_Vert@mastodonapp.uk 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

@GreatAlbatross @DeathWearsANecktie to be fair you cannot drive on a motorway until you pass and then once you pass you can go straight onto it unattended.

[–] GreatAlbatross@feddit.uk 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

You can use the motorway with a an accredited driving instructor before you pass.

The motorway can be an odd one too: The speeds are higher, but they can be one of the safest ways to drive.

Afaik, the reason motorways don't feature on the test, is that some test centres are 50 miles or more away from one

[–] Flax_Vert@mastodonapp.uk 2 points 2 years ago

@GreatAlbatross Apparently you can in England, whoops

[–] MDZA@feddit.uk 12 points 2 years ago (2 children)

And because they’re heavier, there’ll be more wear and tear on the roads too.

[–] Fedop@slrpnk.net 3 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Oh man this one is so big for maintenance costs, the damage is exponential! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_power_law

[–] Pipoca@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago

Which mostly means it doesn't matter. Car vs electric truck is basically a rounding error compared to either a lorry or the regular freeze-thaw cycle.

[–] Pasta4u@lemmy.world 0 points 2 years ago (2 children)

What do u think a electric car eith its huge batteries would do ?

Telsa model 3 is 3000 pounds

Chevy equinox is 3300

Chevy traverse is 4300

Tesla model Y 4400

Tesla model x 5200

Chevy suburban is 5700

[–] Vegoon@feddit.de 2 points 2 years ago

And the Rivian R1T is 6949 pounds.

But there is the dacia spring with 2304 pound.

EV does not automatically have to result in huge heavy cars.

[–] MDZA@feddit.uk 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

It’s a good point about the weight of EVs. I suppose it’s a question of whether the benefit of EVs are worth the extra wear on the roads.

When comparing ICE cars though, it’s a pretty clear cut argument that SUVs are worse for everyone except the occupants.

[–] Pasta4u@lemmy.world 0 points 2 years ago

Suv's are not always worse.

Equinox 26/31 Corvette is 16/25.

Equinox can fit five adults plus room for luggage or other items in jt.

He'll the Chevy malibu is 27/35 amd is a Sedan. I rather the equinox

[–] JokeDeity@lemm.ee 40 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Shocker. Did anyone really think quadrupling the size of vehicles wouldn't increase how harmful they are to the environment?

[–] ChaoticEntropy@feddit.uk 7 points 2 years ago

Seems to increase the size of people's egos too.

[–] riodoro1@lemmy.world 26 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Image: fiat 500 from 1960’s Article: cars from 2013

[–] Zeth0s@lemmy.world 6 points 2 years ago (1 children)

But 500 from the 60s is super cool!!

[–] riodoro1@lemmy.world 12 points 2 years ago

Definetely way cooler than dumb SUVs

[–] aluminium@lemmy.world 9 points 2 years ago

Also in the news. Putting your hands into fire does do the ouchie ouchie.

[–] autotldr@lemmings.world 8 points 2 years ago (1 children)

This is the best summary I could come up with:


The study by the climate campaign group Possible said there was a strong correlation between income and owning a large SUV, which meant there was a sound argument for “polluter pays” taxes for vehicle emissions based on size.

While they are billed as vehicles that cover rough ground or tow heavy loads, previous research has shown that three-quarters of SUVs bought new in the UK are registered to people living in urban areas.

Recent debate over London’s expanded ultra-low emission zone has focused on concerns that cars that emit more NOx are almost always older, and disproportionately used by less wealthy people.

In contrast, the report argued, high greenhouse emissions have often been a product of richer people buying huge SUVs – at a price that showed they could afford an electric car.

Lambeth, in south London, charges owners of the heaviest, most high-emission vehicles, more than four times as much for an annual parking permit than for the smallest cars.

This year, the Paris-based International Energy Agency said that, globally, SUVs produced emissions equivalent to the combined national totals of the UK and Germany.


The original article contains 615 words, the summary contains 185 words. Saved 70%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!

[–] Nytherio@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago
[–] Treczoks@lemm.ee 8 points 2 years ago

For that, you don't need a "study". You just have to look at the technical data that is available on those cars.

[–] Destraight@lemm.ee 3 points 2 years ago

My celica will beat your SUV MPG any day

[–] Teppichbrand@feddit.de 3 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

I just learned about the Tyre Extinguishers. They use lentils to depress the pin on the valve cap of an SUV's tyre, so that the tyre deflates without getting damaged. It's super effective and it's probably not a crime. They are called the Tyre Extinguishers.

[–] Auzy@beehaw.org 2 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (2 children)

I own a jeep Unlimited.. And, I don't get why people give a crap about whether they are using petrol. I'd happily switch to a battery 4wd if one was released which was affordable and had sufficient battery. Maybe something like an electric Jimny would be awesome

The only real reason I have a 4wd is because I do a lot of hiking in my free time (and I got this cheap as it was 10 years old). If I wasn't hiking though, I'd move back to my Toyota Echo Hatchback. That thing was SO easy to park, cheap to drive, and so reliable and safe.

[–] echodot@feddit.uk 5 points 2 years ago

Why we walking that you requiring a Jeep to get around? Pretty much everywhere has car parks. Even in the Scottish Highlands.