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.

    • paintbucketholder@lemmy.world
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      1 year 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.ukM
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      1 year ago

      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
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        1 year ago

        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
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          1 year ago

          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
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            1 year ago

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

              • Qxzkjp@feddit.uk
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                1 year ago

                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.

        • GreatAlbatross@feddit.ukM
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          1 year ago

          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

    • MDZA@feddit.uk
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      1 year ago

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

        • Pipoca@lemmy.world
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          1 year 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
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        1 year ago

        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
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          1 year 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
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          1 year ago

          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
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            1 year 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
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    1 year ago

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

    • Pasta4u@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      My 202 Chevy equinox gets similar mpg as my 2016 Chevy trax and both do better than my previous 2007 Pontiac torrent

      Trax. 26 city 34 highway Equinox. 26/ 31 Torrent. 17/24

      The torrent and equinox are similar sizes while the trax is half the size.

      Suvs keep getting more effcient

  • Treczoks@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

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

  • AutoTL;DR@lemmings.worldB
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    1 year ago

    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!

  • Teppichbrand@feddit.de
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    1 year 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
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    1 year ago

    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.

    • Echo Dot@feddit.uk
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      1 year ago

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