Private car usage increased dramatically in the late fossil era. Starting in 1970, fuel usage decreased per kilometre due to regulations and technological developments. That is, until 2010 when new cars used more fuel per kilometre than before.
The primary reason for this was the rise of the SUV, which entered car stores in the US during the 1980s. At the time, US authorities had just legislated that all new cars needed to be more fuel-efficient, safer and emit less pollution. However, to lessen the burden on those who needed big trucks and jeeps to do their jobs and leave their homes, these types of vehicles were exempt from the rules. Subsequently, the car industry designed a jeep for city-dwellers and marketed it heavily to families.
During the coming decades, the SUV became more and more popular, and in 2017 it was the most sold new vehicle. However, as petrol prices soared and climate protests intensified (there was a time when SUV owners would enter their cars at night so as not to be identified as one of them), SUVs became less popular. In 2036, they were officially banned—because no matter how hard manufacturers tried, they could not escape the fact that larger cars require more energy to operate.
SUV: Sport utility vehicle is a large vehicle, often with four-wheel drive. Large, heavy cars require more fuel to operate and more resources to manufacture.
This text is part of the future scenario and study material Beyond the Fossil Era.
