Should we put an end to SUVs? On February 4, 2024, Parisians will vote on the creation of a specific parking tariff for sport utility vehicles (SUVs). These heavy, bulky cars, are now the best-selling in Europe, to the detriment of smaller vehicles, which are gradually disappearing.

This all while the amount of greenhouse gases produced by individual transport still has a major impact on the climate crisis. Big cars are being singled out. To counter their threat to the climate, European countries have tried to introduce new standards to reduce CO₂ emissions... but without much success. So, how did our cars become so big? Why aren't Europe's regulations pushing the automotive industry in the right direction? And, above all, how can we achieve the goal of zero net CO₂ emissions by 2050?

In this video, Le Monde looks at the latest figures to understand the reason behind the automobile's rapid increase in weight, detrimental to the green transition.

Sources:

• Tommaso Pardi, "Heavier, Faster and Less Affordable Cars: The Consequence of EU Regulations for Car Emissions," summary report 2022
• Samuel Klebaner, "Dynamiques réglementaires et planification des firmes : les leçons des limites européennes d'émissions de polluants dans l'automobile," thesis manuscript, 2018 (en français)
• Main figures on cars on the road in France, December 2023 (en français)
• Evolution of the average CO₂ emission rate in France - new private vehicles (en français)