Cars are growing but Britain's parking spaces are not

The average weight of a car sold in Europe today is 1.6 tonnes, up from 1.3 tonnes in 2001, according to Jato, the data analysts.

With each new generation, a car model gains on average 35 per cent more kilos.

The current Volkswagen Polo is about the same size as the original Golf, the original Mini could fit inside the modern Mini, and the current Range Rover and Ford Fiesta are a third wider their original namesakes.

And now, with the advent of batteries in electric cars, we are cruising towards the three-tonne mark for some luxury electric SUVs.

If enough cars hit that uncomfortable milestone, the UK’s infrastructure of bridges and carparks will literally collapse under the weight.

The issue was enough to spark a BBC radio debate that I took part in this year, alongside a structural engineer looking for possible solutions for multi-story carparks (spoiler alert: there really aren’t any).

SUVs aren’t inherently safer for their occupants than an estate or saloon: most are now two-wheel drive for fuel efficiency, so don’t offer better grip, and higher view doesn’t guarantee better protection in a crash.

The big issue: Why has this happened, and what can we do about it?

Largely (so to speak), cars have got bigger because of safety advances: knowledge from laboratory testing and legislation have required more airbags and bigger crumple zones to protect occupants in the case of a crash.

On top of that, we have an insatiable appetite for the body shape that seems to offer more safety than the others, alongside giving a nod to our growing passion for outdoor adventure and exercise: the mighty SUV.

This chunky body shape, which adorns everything from the dinky Renault Captur to the huge Volvo XC90, accounts for most car sales, well above those of estates, saloons and hatchbacks.

Look at Ford ditching the Fiesta recently (sob), to replace it with… yes, a small SUV with a raised ride height and chunky styling: the Puma. Even that venerable name plate has been reimagined as a boxy SUV.

Some brands have also tried to dodge the ubiquitous SUV description by calling it something else - a Sports Activity Vehicle in BMW’s case - but in the end, it’s all the same thing: something big, bold, and brash that makes us feel like we’re living in some American dream we saw on Netflix.

The biggest increases in size

Parking nightmares can hit your pocket

One of the main issues for motorists with car supersizing, is that far too many cars now don’t fit into on-street parking bays or car parking spaces.

Parking guidelines haven’t changed in 50 years, with the requirement for public bays to be 8 feet (2.4 metres) wide by 16 feet (4.8 metres) long.

Research from consumer group Which? revealed that more than 150 car models are now too big to fit in average car parking spaces and as a result drivers face the dilemma of scraping their alloys in order to fit into the bay or get a parking fine for having two tyres over the markings.

What’s more, not only does this risk expensive scratches from other cars, it will make navigating many UK car parks a challenge, as they simply weren't designed for cars this long.

Bigger isn’t better – or necessarily safer

It may come as a surprise, but SUVs aren’t inherently more safe for their occupants than an estate or saloon: most are now two-wheel drive for fuel efficiency, so don’t offer better grip, and while that higher view of the road ahead may prevent you colliding with a cyclist or pedestrian, it won’t offer you better protection in a crash unless the crumple zone and airbag set-up are superior to that in an estate or saloon, and that varies by brand.

And in the meantime, SUVs don’t handle as well because they sit on higher suspension, with their centre of gravity higher, which leads to more swaying through the corners and over the rough stuff.

The environmental impact may shock you – even for big EVs

Sadly, with electric cars, the story of the added pounds is one of environmental embarrassment because the very products sent to save us from climate catastrophe (and they are the only automotive answer we have right now), are currently spewing far more plastic particulates from their tyres into the atmosphere and marine environment than petrol or diesel cars do, thanks to that extra weight of the battery, combined with the rapid acceleration of electric cars from a standing start, which forces more power through the tyres in a shorter space of time.

Emissions Analytics have showed that tyres wear rises “pound or pound” in proportion to the weight of a vehicle.

What’s the solution?

If you ask me, in a nutshell, it’s got to be climate change will shift the balance.

The very thing that has driven us towards SUVs: a growing need to get healthier in mind and body, and spend our leisure time getting outside and active, means that we are now aware that bigger isn’t better, more powerful doesn’t mean more successful and a true status symbol is one that reflects a sustainable choice.

Who will want a 2.8-tonne electric SUV when they realise they are doing more damage to the environment than good? That’s just embarrassing.

And who will want a huge, heavy battery for a 400-mile range when they realise how long it takes to charge it it?

The younger generation of motorists want a small, light, efficient car with cute styling, cool tech, and recycled fishing nets for foot mats.

They will look at their parents’ automotive choices in amazement and ask us what we thought we were doing, hooning around in these giant displays of consumerism.

Let’s take a leaf out of fashion’s book: successful labels now embrace slow fashion, keeping clothes expensive but made with enough care to last a lifetime. The car world is watching, and is changing. Stand by.