SUV will go out of fashion as their drivers are seen as ‘terrorists’, Citroen boss says

Sports utility vehicles will die out because those who drive oversized 4x4s are seen as ‘terrorists’, the boss of Citroen has said.

Vincent Cobee said the rise of electric cars will ‘kill off’ SUVs because the huge vehicles are too heavy when you add a battery.

Referring to many people’s views that the cars are polluting and dangerous in crashes because of their size and weight, he said: ‘If you live in a big city, five years ago if you drop off your kids with a big SUV you’re a man. Now, if you do this, you’re a ‘terrorist’.’ 

Although SUVs account for 50 per cent of European car sales, Mr Cobee said their days are numbered, adding: ‘The world of SUVs is done.’

Although SUVs account for 50 per cent of European car sales, Mr Cobee said their days are numbered

He said: ‘On a battery EV, if your aerodnaymics are wrong, the penalty in terms of range is massive. 

‘You can lose 50 kilometres between good and bad aero, and between an SUV and a sedan you’re talking 60/70/80 kilometres very easily.’

Increasing the battery size to boost the range is not always an option, he said, and predicted that governments will take action against the vehicles, a trend already happening in France, which is beginning to tax by weight.

Vincent Cobee said the rise of electric cars will ‘kill off’ SUVs because the huge vehicles are too heavy when you add a battery

‘People will start limiting weight and battery sizes, either through tax, through incentives, through regulation, through naming and shaming,’ he said.

‘The A-segment has been killed by regulation, [and] the D [SUV] segment will be killed by aerodynamicism and weight.’

The weight gain simply isn’t acceptable, says Cobée.

He added: ‘In the 1970s, a car was weighing 700kg. 

‘Today an average car is weighing 1300kg. Tomorrow an average car will weigh two tonnes. 

‘So we’re using three times more resources to deliver the same service, just to be ‘green’.’