TapTechNews July 2nd, according to the data from British car magazine Autocar, the average weight of new cars has increased by nearly 400 kilograms in the past seven years. After analyzing the road test data from 2016 to 2023, Autocar found that the average curb weight of new cars increased from 1,553 kilograms to 1,947 kilograms.
TapTechNews noted that part of the reason for this phenomenon is the growing popularity of SUVs. Among all the models tested by Autocar in 2016, 16 were SUVs or crossovers, and their average weight was 1,722 kilograms, which was 169 kilograms higher than the average weight of all models tested that year.
By 2023, the total number of SUVs, crossovers, and pickups tested reached 24, with an average weight of 1,985 kilograms. Although there was still a 38-kilogram gap compared to the overall average weight, this value was significantly smaller than the 169 kilograms in 2016.
At the same time, the average weight of SUVs and crossovers tested in 2023 was 1,906 kilograms, which was lower than the average weight of all models that year. This indicates that although the increase in the market share of SUVs partly explains the rise in the average weight, it is not the only reason.
Another important factor is electrification. The average weight of electric models tested by Autocar last year was 1,991 kilograms, while that of fuel vehicles was nearly 100 kilograms lighter, with an average weight of 1,897 kilograms. Excluding hybrid and plug-in hybrid models (due to the weight increase caused by the installation of electric motors and large-capacity batteries), the average weight of pure electric models was 1,841 kilograms, which was 150 kilograms lighter than that of electric models.
This trend is also reflected in the overall data of the models tested by Autocar since 2000. From then until 2018, the average weight of new cars fluctuated between 1,500 kilograms and 1,650 kilograms. In 2018, it surpassed the 1,700-kilogram mark for the first time, and then dropped back to 1,675 kilograms in 2019. But since then, it has continued to rise, reaching 1,879 kilograms in 2022 and 1,947 kilograms in 2023.
It is worth noting that this growth trend shows no sign of slowing down. Among the models tested in the first quarter of 2024, most of them are both electric vehicles and SUVs, and their average weight reached an astonishing 2,087 kilograms. The heaviest model among them was the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV, which weighed an astonishing 2,899 kilograms.
Of course, the factors leading to the increase in the weight of new cars are not only electrification and the popularity of SUVs, but also the shrinking of the city car and small car markets, which also play a role. Since the number of lightweight models (less than 1,000 kilograms) launched each year is getting smaller and is not enough to offset the impact of the heaviest models on the market.
In 2003, Autocar tested 6 models weighing less than 1,000 kilograms and another 6 models weighing between 1,000 kilograms and 1,100 kilograms. However, in 2023, only one model weighing less than 1,000 kilograms was tested, that is, the Citroën Ami (which is a four-wheel light motor vehicle), which is not strictly a car. The lightest mass-produced car tested last year was the Alpine A110R coupé, weighing 1,065 kilograms, followed by the Hyundai Kona petrol crossover, weighing 1,352 kilograms.