Last week’s poll: SUVs and CO2 emissions

Figures from 2018 show that SUVs accounted for just over a fifth (21.2 per cent) of new car sales, an increase of 7.7 per compared to 2015. Their increasing popularity comes at a cost to the environment, with the assertion that they emit 25 per cent more CO₂ than a medium-size car.

The UK Energy Research Centre has highlighted the role of increasing popularity of sports utility vehicles (SUVs) in preventing overall carbon dioxide emissions from transport from declining, and suggests that sales should be reduced.

But exactly how could the increase in carbon dioxide emissions linked to the popularity of SUVs be countered?

We put this to Engineer readers and 46 per cent agreed that the solution lies in the development of more zero-emissions SUVs. Just under a quarter (23 per cent) of the 441 respondents thought improved engine efficiency would work, followed by 12 per cent endorsing a limit to SUV sales. Of the remainder, nine per cent opted for an increase in fuel duty, and 10 per cent chose ‘none of the above’.