The affinity of Americans towards large automobiles

In my current vehicle, which sits low to the ground, I have recently observed a concerning trend. When I am stuck in traffic, I am either unable to see beyond the cars in front of me or I am surrounded by towering vehicles. This phenomenon can be attributed to a significant shift in the production of passenger cars in the United States. Since 1975, the production of sedans and wagons has plummeted, while the production of SUVs has steadily increased. In fact, SUVs and trucks accounted for 80% of all new car sales last year, compared to 52% in 2011. While it is not surprising that Americans prefer larger vehicles, the reasons behind this transformation are not solely cultural. Rather, they can be traced back to a 50-year-old policy that has had a profound impact on the design of US cars.

As I embark on a road trip from Brooklyn, New York to Rhode Island, I aim to uncover the reasons behind the dominance of big cars in America. According to a Washington Post analysis, New York was the 45th state to succumb to the takeover of SUVs and trucks in 2014, while Alaska was the first state to do so in 1988. As I travel, I am struck by the prevalence of SUVs in parking lots and on the road. While Americans have various reasons for choosing larger vehicles, the infrastructure in the US supports this choice. Unlike many other countries, our built environment revolves around cars, with wide roads and ample parking spaces.

One overlooked bias towards big cars is related to the reason SUVs were created in the first place. In the 1970s, there was a shortage of foreign oil in the US, which led the government to set rules for automakers to make cars more fuel-efficient. However, these rules did not apply as strictly to SUVs and trucks, which were exempted from the more stringent standards applied to passenger cars. This regulation created an incentive for carmakers to transform light trucks into vehicles for everyday use, resulting in the birth of the SUV. Automakers have since marketed SUVs more preferentially than passenger cars, putting more research and development into creating more models that fit into the SUV category.

As of 2016, fuel economy standards have shifted, with vehicles still separated by stricter standards for passenger cars and looser standards for light trucks. However, within these categories, larger cars receive weaker rules, incentivizing carmakers to phase out passenger cars in their fleet and make each category bigger. While the US is transitioning to electric vehicles, larger vehicles with higher ground clearance, weight, and height will still be less energy-efficient, whether they are electric or internal combustion-powered. Moreover, the prevalence of big cars poses a threat to pedestrian safety, with one study finding that replacing the growth in SUVs with cars would have averted over a thousand pedestrian deaths.

While the US is unlikely to become a small car country any time soon, there is a desire among younger and politically active individuals to make it so that an SUV is not the default vehicle choice for American families. If we want our roads to look different, we must start by addressing the policy choices that have enabled the dominance of big cars.