If SUVs were a country, they would be the world’s fifth largest emitter of carbon dioxide, reports the International Energy Agency (IEA).
The IEA is an international organization of 31 member countries representing about three-quarters of all energy use. The group reports annually on global energy use and emissions. This year, the IEA released two diverging reports about the car market.
One report released in March says that the global switch to electric vehicles (EVs) is working, limiting international demand for oil and cutting transportation emissions worldwide.
A new report released this week says that SUV sales are pulling in the other direction.
“SUVs accounted for 48% of global car sales in 2023, reaching a new record,” the agency says. They surpassed 50% of market share in advanced economies for the first time. Larger, heavier, and less aerodynamic than sedans, SUVs typically emit about 20% more carbon dioxide than comparable cars.
Ironically, this problem might resolve itself as the two trends the IEA highlighted converge.
“Globally, SUVs now account for approximately 45% of the electric car fleet,” the agency notes. That share “would be even higher were it not for the strong growth of small electric cars in urban areas in China. In advanced economies, the share of SUVs among electric cars is even higher at 55%.”
The larger share of electric SUVs is partly due to a shortage of small, affordable EVs, but it’s also partly a way to meet demand. Most automakers have launched into the electric car market in America with a midsize SUV first, with models like the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Honda Prologue, and Kia EV9 (the 2024 World Car of the Year).
