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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Environment
Helena Horton Environment reporter

Motor emissions could have fallen by over 30% without SUV trend, report says

SUV
SUV cars parked on a street in Paris
Cars are getting bigger, with the average footprint of a new model reaching 4.2 sq metres. Photograph: Sarah Meyssonnier/Reuters

Emissions from the motor sector could have fallen by more than 30% between 2010 and 2022 if vehicles had stayed the same size, a report has found.

Instead, the size of the average car ballooned as the trend for SUVs took off, meaning the global annual rate of energy intensity reductions – the fall in fuel used – of light-duty vehicles (LDV) averaged 4.2% between 2020 and 2022.

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