Large Vehicles and their Impact

LARGE VEHICLES AND THEIR IMPACT

From January to August 2024, sales of new passenger cars (sedans) declined 4.5% from the same period in 2023; light truck/SUV sales, on the other hand, rose 3.9%. The average weight of a new vehicle in the US is 4,400 lbs. as against 3,300 lbs. in the European community. In 2023, 31% of new vehicles sold in the US weighed over 5,000 lbs. 19,000 died in the US in multi-car crashes in 2023, many involving large vehicles smashing smaller vehicles. Gas mileage for light trucks/SUVs averages 23.4 mpg, for sedans

33.3 mpg. Electric and hybrid vehicles accounted for 8.5% of vehicles sold in May 2024.

What does this flurry of statistics show?

1. US car buyers prefer large vehicles (SUVS and pickups); almost one third buy behemoths of over 5,000 pounds.

2. Larger vehicle size leads to more deaths, not for the occupants of larger vehicles but among those driving smaller cars.

3. Naturally, gas mileage (mpg) is much higher for sedans than for light trucks/SUVs.

4. Relatively few US car buyers purchase electric or hybrid vehicles.

CONCLUSION: The US vehicle market is wasteful of lives and costly to the environment.

Sources: The Economist, 9/7/24; Edmunds, 2024;, US Dept. of Energy, 2022; Automotive Industry Portal MarkLine, 9/2024