Sales of Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) in the UK have increased by more than a fifth in one year as experts warn of a “dangerous trend”.
New analysis has found that SUV sales in the UK have risen by 23 per cent since 2022, with the number of larger vehicles on the road jumping from 910,000 to 1.12 million.
The data, from Transport & Environment, stated that 50 per cent of all new car registrations were SUVs, rising to 57 per cent in 2022 and again to 60 per cent in 2023.
If the trend continues, it has been suggested that SUVs would make up 75 per cent of new vehicle registrations by 2027.
Data suggests that SUVs could make up 75 per cent of new car registrations by 2027
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Ralph Palmer, UK electric vehicle and fleet officer at T&E, said: “SUV sales in the UK growing by more than a fifth in just a year is a dangerous trend that could spell disaster for the UK’s carbon budgets.
“The stubbornly high levels of polluting SUV sales is not only negating emissions savings from the move to battery electric vehicles, it’s embedding a culture of large, luxury cars, which is simply unsustainable.
“Carmakers, and the government, need to prioritise and support the production and sales of smaller, more affordable battery electric vehicles.
“That will ensure there are more mass market options available to British drivers so we can further progress on net zero targets.”
There are also serious concerns about the impact SUVs have on the environment, given that 83 per cent of these vehicles are petrol, diesel or plug-in hybrid.
T&E stated that high numbers of SUV registrations would “blow a hole in UK carbon budgets”.
Sarah Rowe, from the Clean Cities Campaign in Manchester, highlighted the recent referendum in Paris, where residents voted to increase parking charges in the French capital.
Locals made a “clear choice” in voting to triple parking charges for SUVs to almost £200 for six hours, according to the Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo.
Rowe suggested that this vote could spur on a similar movement in the UK, adding: “I think this shows us that people want to see action before it's too late."
She continued, saying: "I'm worried this trend for bigger cars means we'll simply run out of space for things we actually need; more green space to relax in, safer spaces to walk and cycle and public space for communities to thrive.
“Air pollution and traffic is a serious problem in our cities and this trend of bigger cars will only make it worse.”
Recent research has also warned that SUVs are becoming too big for UK roads as experts called on the Government to stop manufacturers “fuelling our addiction to ever more obese cars”.
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Paris recently voted to increase parking charges for SUVs
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SUVs are starting to exceed the 180cm minimum width for on-street parking. The average width of a new car in 2018 was just 177.8cm, compared to new 2023 cars which are 180.3cm wide.
Concerns remain that this trend could increase in the coming years with more people opting for larger SUVs, especially as the population grows.