Navin Singh Khadka, Environment Correspondent at BBC World Service, reported that new SUV vehicles were seen crossing a bridge from Canada into the United States. Despite predictions of a shift towards smaller and more environmentally friendly vehicles due to the climate crisis and rising costs, SUVs continue to dominate global car sales. In 2024, 54% of cars sold worldwide were SUVs, with the majority still running on fossil fuels. Manufacturers claim that their new SUV models are increasingly electric, but environmental campaigners argue that SUVs are detrimental to the planet due to their size and resource consumption. The popularity of SUVs has outpaced that of electric vehicles in many markets, with China leading in SUV sales in 2024. Industry experts attribute the growth of SUVs to consumer demand, practicality, and high profit margins for manufacturers. Despite efforts to promote electric and hybrid SUVs, the majority still rely on fossil fuels, contributing to increased CO2 emissions and oil consumption globally. Scientists emphasize the need for decarbonization across all sectors to avoid a climate catastrophe. Navin Singh Khadka
Se encontraron resultados similares en otras economías importantes como los EE. UU. y China.
En general, la vuelta hacia los SUV, algunos expertos dicen, ha causado un importante retroceso en la descarbonización del sector del transporte.
“La tendencia hacia vehículos más pesados y menos eficientes como los SUV (en países donde está ocurriendo) ha anulado en gran medida las mejoras en el consumo de energía y las emisiones logradas en otros lugares en la flota de automóviles de pasajeros del mundo”, dijo la IEA.
El comité de cambio climático del Parlamento del Reino Unido tuvo un hallazgo similar en su informe de 2024 sobre la descarbonización en el país.