2023 Author: Eric Donovan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 09:36
The sales success of the sporty SUVs should not only make the manufacturers happy. Because the higher CO2 emissions cause problems for the carmaker with a view to the stricter emissions guidelines.
The trend towards sporty off-road vehicles (SUV) continues. According to a study by the Center Automotive Research (CAR) at the University of Duisburg-Essen, 180,000 SUVs were newly registered on the German car market in the first four months of the year. The SUV market share thus reached a new record at 18.3 percent.
If you look at the German carmakers, Porsche has the largest share of SUVs among its new registrations with 38 percent. And that, although the Porsche Macan has only been delivered to customers since April. Against the background of new market launches such as the BMW X4, Fiat 500X, Ford Ecosport, Ford Edge and the Jeep Jeepster, the study predicts a new SUV record on German roads with 570,000 SUVs this year.
28 percent market share by 2020
“Nothing works in the German auto industry without an SUV”, says Ferdinand Dudenhöffer, the author of the study. And with a view to 2020, the scientist expects that SUVs with 900,000 units will then have a market share of 28 percent. By then, hatchbacks and notchbacks will increasingly lose their importance. The hatchback is currently still the most popular body variant with a market share of 36.6 percent, but has already lost 6.5 percent of its market share compared to 2010.
But the manufacturers are only likely to enjoy these sales successes for sporty off-road vehicles for a short time. Because the SUV sales are at the expense of the more fuel-efficient hatchback and notchback variants. These sales successes are in conflict with the more stringent EU emissions regulations, which provide for a limit value of 95 g / km by 2021. Due to their size, poor aerodynamic properties and higher weight, “SUVs consume around 20-25 percent more fuel than the comparable hatchback and notchback models,” according to the study. Against the background of the expected market share of 28 percent by 2020, it is becoming increasingly difficult for manufacturers to achieve the CO2 limit values.
“It is not for nothing that German car manufacturers are complaining loudly, because the SUV trend means they need more alternative drives, more plug-in hybrids, and that is driving up costs and prices. SUVs are a two-part sword for German car manufacturers,”says Dudenhöffer. Therefore, every new SUV model increases the manufacturers' problem in achieving the CO2 targets. "The car manufacturers are driving the SUV towards a wall and it looks like braking will be very expensive." (AG / FM)
Recommended:
Boom Markets As A Boomerang For Car Manufacturers
The current boom markets can become a boomerang for car manufacturers. According to a study, around a fifth of all new cars could lose their lives
Car Sharing As A Business Model For Car Manufacturers
Owning a car is no longer the measure of all things for young people. The automakers are reacting to this trend and are increasingly discovering
China Is Becoming A Problem Child For Car Manufacturers
The economic downturn, especially in China, is also slowing the growth of German car manufacturers. Sales shrank by six percent in the second quarter
Car Sharing For Car Manufacturers Second Pillar
The population's understanding of mobility is changing. Accordingly, owning a car is no longer the measure of all things for many customers
Export Boom Among Japan's Car Manufacturers
Domestic business is not going particularly well for Japanese automakers either. On the other hand, they are reporting double-digit growth rates for exports
