However, in the face of such bulk, serious questions should be asked. Weight compromises efficiency and dynamics, and the safety of other road users, and it raises questions around road damage and tyre wear and more. Each of these individually warrants serious scrutiny, but combined they make me wonder if their makers have actually considered the environmental imperative to consume less that is driving the transition.
Sure, we can marvel at the technical prowess that allows such a large, heavy car to achieve official best-case efficiency of 3mpkWh while offering a claimed range of more than 400 miles. Better that than a fuel-guzzling V8, perhaps. It’s also true that we shouldn’t fixate on the EQS SUV that triggered these thoughts. There are other electric cars on sale today, almost all of which are large SUVs, that are even less efficient – although notably plenty that are more so.
But while it seems logical that allowing the super-rich to greenwash their travel at the expense of others should no longer be acceptable, I’m not sure the car makers have grasped that point.
No. Cars in general electric or combustion should strive to be as small as possible. That way down the road instead of expanding the size of the roadways will have smaller cars to better utilize the already existing space.
Not unless they have a 400 miles range
SUVs have been the industry’s workaround to economy and emissions standards, electricity circumvents these entirely, we should embrace electric wagons and hatchbacks rather than heavy and bulky SUVs
ABSOLUTELY YES
No
No
Also with both MB EQ* and BMW i* the batteries only weigh 600kg or so. There is about 500-1500kg of excess weight that needs shedding that has nothing to do with the electric drivetrain. Doing that yet retaining a premium-feeling interior, that’s the true challenge.
I am downsizing to an all-wheel-drive Aptera Roadster.
Is Wankpanzers a hashtag yet?
elecclassiccars you said EV's are lighter than ICE vehicles? The opposite is very much the actual situation.
A great article from Autocar raising valid questions. If one of these hits a 1,200kg car, the occupants of the 1,200kg car are going to be in a very bad way if any speed is involved.
I might be missing what the author of this article is proposing other than “stop making large cars”.
I’ll hold on to our 7 seat C4 2.0 diesel till it dies - it’s the perfect combination of comfort, space and economy. SUVs are compromised in so many ways and, personally, the styling does nothing for me. Recognising that I’m a minority according to the car companies 🙄
I have zero interest in SUVs anyway but would never say we shouldn't accept them as that's the start of an very slippery slope 'why do you need an estate car? Why do you need an impractical 2 seat convertible?' etc etc
Fat cars for fat people. Cars don't need to be this large or oversized it's just greed.
I have a 38kw Hyundai Ioniq. Averages around 5kWh. Not too heavy and super aerodynamic. Not all electric cars are the same.
What's electric got to do with it? Should we accept *any* bulky cars at all - irrespective of body style or motor type. eg, monster pickups...
I hate SUV's but these gargantuan behemoths are ludicrous on a whole new level. Only a dribble chinned crayon muncher would think about buying one.
It is a 100k£+ car, soI don’t think that many that talk about hatches and 10+ years old cars are the ones meant to buy that panzer. At the end of the day that SUV has a very small market of people that don’t care much about the arguments exposed here …
Not a fan of suvs or electric so a double no from me. My diesel estate car is going nowhere
My BMW 5 series weighs around 1600kg, I used to think that heavy! She’s 19 years old and running beautifully with reasonable economy. I’ll not ever buy anything heavier so roll on synthetic fuels please.
Here's my review of almost any new car: Too Heavy, Too Big, Too Expensive.
Use ev’s to bring back the land yacht
The weird thing about bulky SUV’s is that they don’t feel useful in interior volume. Like, the whole segment of CUV’s and compact SUV’s shouldn’t exist, cause the difference in space is practically absent compared to comparative sedans
are we gonna bring back road tax to pay for the damage these 3 tonne SUVs are going to cause?
Nope. Utterly hate them. We're being left with fewer and fewer normal car sized choices though.
Here’s hoping someone other than AUDI respects the estate car 🚙/ touring/ station wagon or whatever …
Not at all. But isn't that what people want? Or do they simply buy anything they're offered?
No
Long live the hatch and saloon for daily drivers!
I don't care for the trend, personally. It's clearly possible to make normal cars with solid EV range, so I wish more manufacturers would continue with normal cars alongside these ungainly things. Most of them still carry less than a proper estate anyway!
Nope. Affordable small hatches and affordable EV conversions of existing cars.
I hate them. I'm more interested in 80s and 90s wagons converted to electric.
No.