Energy consumption also plays a role. Larger vehicles weigh more and consume more energy, whether gasoline or electric.
T&E estimates that Europe's EV fleet would need an additional 22.5 terawatt-hours of electricity annually by 2040 under the current trend, equivalent to the output of about 1,500 onshore wind turbines.
It also predicts more than 100 million additional barrels of imported oil consumption over the same period.
Proposed Solutions
The report calls for hood height caps of 85 cm, width limits of 192 cm, taxes tied to vehicle dimensions, parking fees based on size, and regulatory incentives for smaller EVs under 4.2 meters long.
Whether these ideas gain traction remains to be seen. Consumers have favored SUVs and crossovers for two decades, and automakers profit more from larger vehicles.
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The real challenge may be convincing automakers to build smaller cars again.
