**Ditching small vehicles is bad for consumers, the environment and, ultimately, western carmakers, argues Julia Poliscanova.**
*Julia Poliscanova is senior director for vehicles and e-mobility at the green NGO Transport & Environment.*
Once a staple of nouvelle vague movies, ’60s hippies and European garages, the likes of the Fiat Punto, Volkswagen Beetle, and Citroën Picasso are being discontinued. The Ford Fiesta – a darling of British drivers for decades – will join their fate in 2023.
Western auto execs blame the emissions regulations. Ford, Renault, Stellantis, and others claim that small cars can’t meet ever tighter European CO2 targets. But compliance is averaged across all sales, not per car.
So, while selling only petrol and diesel cars will land you fines, selling smaller combustion models (that emit comparatively less CO2) will mean less electric cars need to be sold to balance emissions.
The smaller, lighter vehicles also lead to more significant economies all around, given the growing raw material and energy costs.
Even when the emissions targets are set at zero, as will be the case in Europe and California from 2035, a larger battery model is counted the same as a small one, winning you no brownie points for selling big.
With rising costs of living, demand for small, affordable cars in Europe remains strong.
Sales of small (segment B) cars in Europe are expected to increase both in volume and revenue. Drivers in the UK currently wait 12 months for their new Fiesta, a sign that it’s not consumer demand that’s to blame for Ford’s decision.
So what is going on?
The shift to larger cars in Europe long predates the electrification push. Data compiled by T&E shows the spread between smaller and larger segments has not changed much in Europe, but within segments, hatchbacks and sedans have given way to larger SUVs. So, Picassos and Puntos are not replaced by RAM 1500s – instead, they turn into compact SUVs.
Cause why would you want a small European car when you can just text and drive, T-bone in to someone and be totally safe in your big SUV tank of a car, or maybe plow over a child you can’t see at all in your big Murican truck, cause those make you real manly.
Small cars are so cool. They’re fun to drive, you feel connected to the road and are just made to trash about and redline from each traffic stop.
American cultural influence
If you need to transport stuff a small car isnt very good at that. A small car is good transporting a few people, but if you only need to transport yourself, depending on your situation, you may also just choose to use public transport, bike, scooter, etc.
In few years “Why millennials and Zs have destroyed european carmakers”
Because of public transportation.
Anyway Nissan LEAF revealed as the best-selling car in Norway and top-selling EV in Europe
I am guilty as charged. I understand all these concerns. But I still drive my 4×4, 2.6 ton off-roader. Because it is fun. It is good for long trips. It is very practical if I need to transport anything larger.
Also, I do not have any reasons to drive around the city, so the main disadvantage of a very large car is not a problem for me.
Because car brain is spreading and rotting brains away..
Now days its gotta be big enough to live in!
I like cars like this…testudo type cars. Really nice.
I also like them because I am a second class citizen and I am poor and not worthy of european standard of citizenship.
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**Ditching small vehicles is bad for consumers, the environment and, ultimately, western carmakers, argues Julia Poliscanova.**
*Julia Poliscanova is senior director for vehicles and e-mobility at the green NGO Transport & Environment.*
Once a staple of nouvelle vague movies, ’60s hippies and European garages, the likes of the Fiat Punto, Volkswagen Beetle, and Citroën Picasso are being discontinued. The Ford Fiesta – a darling of British drivers for decades – will join their fate in 2023.
Western auto execs blame the emissions regulations. Ford, Renault, Stellantis, and others claim that small cars can’t meet ever tighter European CO2 targets. But compliance is averaged across all sales, not per car.
So, while selling only petrol and diesel cars will land you fines, selling smaller combustion models (that emit comparatively less CO2) will mean less electric cars need to be sold to balance emissions.
The smaller, lighter vehicles also lead to more significant economies all around, given the growing raw material and energy costs.
Even when the emissions targets are set at zero, as will be the case in Europe and California from 2035, a larger battery model is counted the same as a small one, winning you no brownie points for selling big.
With rising costs of living, demand for small, affordable cars in Europe remains strong.
Sales of small (segment B) cars in Europe are expected to increase both in volume and revenue. Drivers in the UK currently wait 12 months for their new Fiesta, a sign that it’s not consumer demand that’s to blame for Ford’s decision.
So what is going on?
The shift to larger cars in Europe long predates the electrification push. Data compiled by T&E shows the spread between smaller and larger segments has not changed much in Europe, but within segments, hatchbacks and sedans have given way to larger SUVs. So, Picassos and Puntos are not replaced by RAM 1500s – instead, they turn into compact SUVs.
Cause why would you want a small European car when you can just text and drive, T-bone in to someone and be totally safe in your big SUV tank of a car, or maybe plow over a child you can’t see at all in your big Murican truck, cause those make you real manly.
Small cars are so cool. They’re fun to drive, you feel connected to the road and are just made to trash about and redline from each traffic stop.
American cultural influence
If you need to transport stuff a small car isnt very good at that. A small car is good transporting a few people, but if you only need to transport yourself, depending on your situation, you may also just choose to use public transport, bike, scooter, etc.
In few years “Why millennials and Zs have destroyed european carmakers”
Because of public transportation.
Anyway Nissan LEAF revealed as the best-selling car in Norway and top-selling EV in Europe
I am guilty as charged. I understand all these concerns. But I still drive my 4×4, 2.6 ton off-roader. Because it is fun. It is good for long trips. It is very practical if I need to transport anything larger.
Also, I do not have any reasons to drive around the city, so the main disadvantage of a very large car is not a problem for me.
Because car brain is spreading and rotting brains away..
Now days its gotta be big enough to live in!
I like cars like this…testudo type cars. Really nice.
I also like them because I am a second class citizen and I am poor and not worthy of european standard of citizenship.