Earlier this week Tesla announced that the much-anticipated Model Y is ahead of schedule. Originally planned for late 2020, deliveries have now been pushed up to summer 2020, with production beginning early in the new year.
The fact the Model Y is ahead of schedule is great news as a new study by the The International Energy Agency (IEA) has found that between 2010 and 2018, SUVs were the second largest contributor to the increase in global CO2 emissions.
While that statistic is alarming, it is shouldn’t come as a shock if you look at the numbers of SUVs on the road today. Around the world there are over 200 million SUVs on the road, compared to just 35 million when the study began in 2010. Today, approximately 40% of all car sales are SUVs.
On average, SUVs consume about a quarter more energy than medium-size cars. Between 2010 and 2018, the total emissions from SUVs rose to over 700 megatonnes, about the same as Canada’s annual CO2 emissions as a country, which was 716 megatonnes in 2017.
As a result, SUVs were the second-largest contributor to the increase in global CO2 emissions since 2010 after the power sector, but ahead of heavy industry (including iron & steel, cement, aluminium), as well as trucks and aviation.
If consumers’ appetite for SUVs continues to grow at a similar pace seen in the last decade, SUVs would add nearly 2 million barrels a day in global oil demand by 2040, offsetting the savings from nearly 150 million electric cars.
Elon, please get the Model Y out as soon possible.
The IEA works to ensure reliable, affordable and clean energy for its 30 member countries and beyond. Their mission is guided by four main areas of focus: energy security, economic development, environmental awareness and engagement worldwide.
