Autobesity

Autobesity, also known as car bloat and truck bloat, is the contemporary trend of cars increasing in average size and weight. The average weight of cars sold in Europe increased by 21% between 2001 and 2022.

Negative consequences
Among the consequences of increased car weight and size are:


 * Poorer air quality, even with electric vehicles, because heavier vehicles have higher energy consumption and release more tyre and brake particles (non-tailpipe emissions).
 * Reduced road safety, as heavier vehicles have greater kinetic energy, and taller vehicles are more likely to strike pedestrians in the head and torso, or even not be able to see small children who are below the driver's line of sight.  Additionally, larger vehicles are more likely to hit pedestrians when turning due to poorer visibility.
 * Parking issues for other vehicles, as they don't fit in typical parking spaces, often occupying multiple spaces.
 * Increased consumption of public space, promoting more sprawling cities and further exacerbating energy and automobile dependency.

Explanations
An individual driver may choose a large car for personal safety, though it threatens other road users. This in turn pushes others to choose large cars, a vicious circle. A US National Safety Council expert described autobesity as an "arms race".

Government actions to counter autobesity

 * From 2024 Paris will charge greater parking fees for SUVs.
 * A 2023 European Parliament report proposes introducing a new "category B+" driving licence for cars heavier than 1800 kg.