Soaring demand for SUVs drove record sales for premium carmakers including BMW and Mercedes in 2019, leaving the industry on collision course with government efforts to tackle global warming despite big investments in electric vehicles.
Carmakers across the world are investing billions in electric vehicles to try to meet tougher emissions regulations. But the jury is out on how many drivers will buy them. As a result, SUVs were the second-largest contributor to the increase in global CO2 emissions since 2010 after the power sector — ahead of heavy industry including iron and steel, cement, aluminium, as well as trucks and aviation, it said.
BMW and Mercedes-Benz say their vehicles are among the most fuel efficient available, thanks to hybrid and other technologies which are already available on the market. BMW plans to launch 25 hybrid and electric cars by 2023, with more than 12 models being fully electric versions.Daimler-owned Mercedes expects half of its sales to be hybrid or electric by 2030, with Europe reaching the 50% mark in 2025.