Campaigners warn 'oversized SUVs' will wipe out 10% of parking spaces by 2040

Eco zealots are warning that the increasing dimensions of new cars - particularly 'oversized SUVs' - will wipe out one in ten roadside parking spaces in UK cities by 2040.They say growing vehicle size poses an 'unprecedented threat to urban space' that will 'eliminate vast numbers of parking spaces' over the next decade.New cars have been 'getting steadily bigger' for decades.

They are becoming longer, wider and taller, with higher bonnets each year, according to analysis by green think tank Transport & Environment.This is despite family sizes and car occupancy declining, 'leaving vehicles taking up more room while carrying fewer people'.T&E claims that if the trend of 'carspreading' continues, city authorities will be forced to redesign their roads to accommodate bigger motors.

This will cut on-street parking capacity by between 8.5 and 14 per cent by 2040, with London alone set to lose approximately 100,000 spaces, it forecasts. 'Oversized SUVs' and new cars generally getting bigger every year threatens to wipe out 10% of roadside parking bays in major cities by 2040, green campaigner say London could lose 100,000 on-street parking spaces within 15 years if new vehicle sizes continue to grow at the same trajectory, Transport & Environment warnsJoin the discussionShould cities put tighter limits on car size to protect space and safety, or is this just unfair to drivers?

What's your view?The report shows this is being driven by a sustained increase in vehicle size since 2000.Newly sold cars in Britain are - on average - getting longer by 1.

2cm each year.Vehicle height, width and bonnet height are all rising by around 0.5cm annually.

T&E has accused carmakers of 'shifting away' from smaller models in favour of larger, more profitable vehicles, accelerating the squeeze on urban space.'After 25 years of relentless growth, our streets are dominated by oversized SUVs that cities simply weren't designed for,' explained Anna Krajinska, T&E UK director.'The result is a lose-lose: councils are forced to reshape streets around larger vehicles, sacrificing parking capacity, public space and safety in the process.'

This is a market failure. Without clear standards to limit car size and encourage right-sizing, carspreading will continue unchecked, and cities will keep paying the price.' T&E showcased the rising dimensions of cars between 2000 and 2025 - and based on that trajectory, how big new models could be by 2040 While the original Range Rover was quite a large vehicle for its day, it now pales in comparison to modern era models, like the previous-generation Range Rover Autobiography pictured Your browser does not support iframes.

RANGE ROVER DIMENSIONS: 1970 VS NOW 1970 Range Rover 2025 Range Rover (SWB) Increase/decrease in 55 years Length 447.0cm 505.2cm 12.

3% Height 177.8cm 187.0cm 5.

2% Width 177.8cm 204.7cm 15.

1% Wheelbase 254.0cm 299.7cm 18.

0% Kerb weight 1,758kg 2,770kg 57.6% Footprint 7.9m2 10.

3m2 30.4% Amount of parking space filled 68.6% 89.

4% 30.2% Space either side in parking bay 31.1cm 17.

65cm -43.3% RELATED ARTICLES Previous 1 Next Mercedes-Benz voted most satisfying car brand to own SUV growth means new cars have the same mpg as 20 years ago Share this article Share HOW THIS IS MONEY CAN HELP 10 tips on how to get cheaper car insurance A recent study found that the average width of a new car is increasing by 1cm every two years.The report, published in 2024 and analysing every new model on sale in Britain, found that the average width of a car in showrooms was 180.

3cm in the first half of 2023.Five years earlier, the average was just 177.8cm in 2018.

Historical data held by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) shows that this trend - of new cars increasing in width by 1cm every two years - had been ongoing for the two decades up to 2020.The report pinpointed certain cars as having grown substantially, with the new-generation Land Rover Defender 20cm wider than the old 4X4, and BMW's X5 growing 6cm in six years.Why are cars getting bigger?

Read More End of the road for the convertible car: Just 11 soft-top models from major brands remain - but used prices are rising Motor manufacturers have not refuted claims that cars are getting larger, saying it is a consequence of stricter crash protection regulations.The requirement for crumple zones, increased structural integrity, more airbags and additional safety technology has ultimately impacted the average car's dimensions.Manufacturers must incorporate these to comply with increasingly stringent regulations, with all passenger car proportions - not just SUVs - expanding to accommodate them.

Though this is certainly for the greater good, as crash data shows.Over the last 20 years, Department for Transport data shows that the number of car occupant casualties has dropped from 183,858 in 2004 to just 70,089 in 2024.In fact, car occupants accounted for just over half (54 per cent) of road collision casualties last year, down from two-thirds 20 y