SURELY THE TIME HAS COME TO THINK SMALL.

Nearly half of global car sales were sports utility vehicles (SUVs) in 2023, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), a respected forecaster. The definition of SUVs can be vague (usually something to do with a higher seating position and off-road styling), but the IEA this week said “the shift towards ever larger and heavier cars” is the “defining automobile trend of the early 21^st century”. The results of car growth are not good for the environment. Two hundred kilograms or more in extra weight for SUVs plus the extra drag from a bigger frontal surface area mean burning more fossil fuels. That pushes up carbon emissions by 20%, the IEA said. A quarter of global growth in oil demand last year can be ascribed to petrol SUVs. Electric SUVs use up far more valuable minerals such as lithium, nickel and cobalt than smaller vehicles, making decarbonisation goals harder. Bigger vehicles also add to tyre pollution, and they make pedestrian deaths much more likely, for women and children in particular. And they take up more space. SUVs need 0.3 sq metres extra, which adds to parking requirements and gums up city streets. Colin Walker, head of transport at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit thinktank, is hopeful that the imminent launch of smaller, cheaper electric models such as the Renault 5 and the Dacia Spring will help speed the transition from fossil fuels. “One of the main barriers that is holding people back is the lack of smaller, cheaper EVs,” he said. “I’d argue that [manufacturers] were a little slow in trying to build these models.” Of the big western manufacturers, only Stellantis – the owner of Citroën, Peugeot, Chrysler, Vauxhall and others – has ventured into the truly tiny electric car segment. Its Citroën Ami has gained something of a cult following despite its 28mph top speed and 46-mile range. It is particularly popular with high school students in France, where the self-proclaimed “urban mobility object” is classed as a light quadricycle, meaning it can be driven by anyone aged 14 or over without a full licence. Yet it is China that is extending its growing electric car dominance into the realm of tiny cars, often based on cheap lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries. Those on sale in China (but not yet in Europe) include Geely’s Geometry Panda, the Mini EV from Wuling Hongguang and the Baojun Yep, a joint production between SAIC and the US’s General Motors, which offers SUV styling in a tiny package. For slightly larger hatchbacks, the competition is fierce. SAIC’s MG4 has already conquered the UK market, where the brand originated. BYD’s impressive Dolphin is expected to make a big splash in the market for small family cars. Lets hope one of the top social media influencers gets sponsored to promote “small is beautiful ” to her 5 million adoring followers and some sense may enter the big car realm.

Tiny cars are still a rarity,