The Climate Question - Are SUVs becoming a climate problem?

Download Are SUVs becoming a climate problem?

Across the world, cars are getting taller, wider and heavier. Sports Utility Vehicles, or SUVs, now dominate global car sales, and the trend has continued into the electric age with many new EVs larger than ever.

In this episode of The Climate Question, Jordan Dunbar examines why bigger cars have become so popular with drivers and so profitable for manufacturers. From comfort and safety to status and aspiration, SUVs are reshaping roads across Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

Size matters. Heavier vehicles use more energy, require bigger batteries, and create challenges for cities, from congestion and parking to road damage and safety. Jordan speaks to Theo Leggett, the BBC’s International Business Correspondent, and Anjani Trivedi, Global Business Correspondent at The Economist, about car-spreading, emissions, electrification, and whether governments and consumers could reverse the trend.

Guests:
Theo Leggett, BBC International Business Correspondent
Anjani Trivedi, Global Business Correspondent, The Economist

Presenter: Jordan Dunbar
Production team: Ben Andrews, Grace Braddock, Tom Brignell, Gareth Jones, Diane Richardson, Nik Sindle
Editor: Simon Watts

Image: CJ Gunther / EPA-EFE / REX / Shutterstock

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Published on Sunday, 11th January 2026.

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