Imagine a future of safer and fairer streets, without SUVs

Reform Vehicle Excise Duty to introduce a progressively higher tax on the most polluting vehicles proportional to the vehicle’s weight.

Why this Ask?

First year Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) is the tax paid upon purchase of a new car. The UK’s system is based on the tailpipe CO2 emissions of the car. The UK currently taxes polluting cars comparatively low to other European countries at the point of purchase, particularly for the highest polluting models. Meanwhile, the UK does not tax on the basis of weight or size of the car. 

A progressive first year VED system that accounts for weight or size of a car as well as tailpipe CO2 emissions, would mean that the tax is higher for larger, more polluting new cars and lower for smaller battery electric cars, thus recognising the greater environmental, safety and health costs borne by society from increasing large cars on the roads. Adding a weight element to first year VED would also help to “future proof” VED as tax receipts from new petrol and diesel sales dwindle over the next 11 years before the end date for sales of non-zero emission cars.

Why this Ask?

UK law currently allows for passenger vehicles to exceed the size of a parking bay.  Among the top 100 vehicle models sold in 2023, 52% were too wide for the minimum specified on-street parking space (180 cm) in major cities, either overhanging the space or failing to leave enough space on either side of the vehicle for effective access to the vehicle when parked alongside other cars. 

Setting mandated design limits for passenger vehicle sizes (which could also include bonnet height) would also improve safety for other road users, particularly for people walking, wheeling, cycling and scooting. Raised, flat bonnets are a major contributor to the threat SUVs pose to other road users.

Follow the lead of Edinburgh City Council and The Hague to introduce a national tobacco-style ban on SUV advertising - including hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric SUVs - in outdoor advertising spaces like billboards and bus stops.

Why this Ask?

Advertising is a powerful driver of demand for larger SUVs and 4x4s. Evidence from Australia demonstrates spend on SUV advertising increased before demand, suggesting demand is a product of supply, rather than the other way round. Moreover, the presence of SUV adverts on the streets, such as in bus stop ad panels, reinforces the narrative that “car is king” and incentivizes greater private vehicle use whilst undermining less polluting alternatives like public transport and active travel.

At present, local councils are limited to controlling outdoor adverts on sites they own, such as bus shelters. A national tobacco-style ban on such advertising for SUVs would prohibit them from appearing anywhere on our streets.

Mandate that carmakers must publish an “eco-score” for all new electric vehicles, combining engine efficiency and lifecycle CO2 emissions.

Why this Ask?

Following the work of the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC), Environmental Action Germany (DUH), the Mobility in Transition Institute (IMT), and Transport & Environment (T&E), an eco-score focuses on the most significant contributors to a vehicle’s environmental impact, ensuring clarity and comparability for consumers and policymakers alike. The proposed score is based on two parameters:

• Vehicle energy efficiency (measured in kWh/km) to ensure that vehicles consume less energy per kilometre, reducing the overall demand on electricity grids and making them more cost-effective for consumers.

• The carbon footprint of key components such as batteries, steel, and aluminium to minimise the carbon impact of manufacturing, and driving the industry towards cleaner materials and processes.

Empower and encourage more local authorities to introduce progressive parking tariffs on heavier, bigger and more polluting passenger vehicles.

Why this Ask?

The proportion of SUVs sold in the UK has increased 10 times in two decades, and such vehicles are themselves becoming wider and heavier. Many urban streets are simply too small to accommodate such large vehicles. Further, SUVs are a source of urban air pollution, often owned and driven by wealthier citizens at the expense of those in less wealthy areas. Efforts to disincentivise the use of SUVs in urban areas should be promoted to improve air quality, reduce congestion and reduce road danger.

In February 2024 the city of Paris voted to increase parking charges on the largest cars by as much as three times. In the UK, Bath and Islington councils have introduced similar measures. The government can encourage other councils to replicate these efforts.

See the Carspreading campaign from Clean Cities to find out more and take action now.