The increasing size and weight of electric vehicles (EVs), termed "autobesity," pose a significant challenge to carbon reduction efforts. According to the IEA's Global EV Outlook 2026, large vehicles including SUVs accounted for nearly 70% of the global EV market in 2025, with over 85% of electric models being large cars or SUVs in the US. This trend is driven by high profit margins, as large SUVs and MPVs have limited marginal cost increases but substantial retail price premiums, reaching gross profit margins of 18–22%. Data from the China Automobile industry chain carbon publicity platform (CPP) shows a rising number of D, C, and B class vehicles launched between 2021 and 2025, while A00 class vehicles declined. Luxury brands like BMW and Mercedes-Benz have increased curb weights of their EV models through enhanced specifications and electrification, with the BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz GLE exceeding 2.4–2.7 tonnes. Chinese NEV startups also favor larger models, with brands like Li Auto, NIO, and Zeekr focusing on C, D, and even E class vehicles exceeding 3 tonnes. The "Vehicle Carbon Footprint Snap" campaign observed 16% of vehicles as C and D class, indicating their growing prevalence.
Vehicle upsizing increases steel and aluminum consumption, raising upstream supply chain emissions. The China Automobile Dealers Association notes a 72 kg average weight increase between 2023 and 2024, consuming an additional 1.782 million tonnes of materials. This raises emissions from steel and aluminum smelting, processing, and transportation. While larger EVs may have low operational emissions, their increased manufacturing emissions can offset carbon savings, requiring significantly higher driving distances to achieve net reductions.
Policy and market interventions are needed to curb autobesity. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has issued standards like the Limits for Energy Consumption of Electric Vehicles to limit vehicle size. However, consumer demand for larger vehicles, driven by wealth growth and family mobility needs, will sustain the trend. Low-carbon steel and aluminum offer a solution, as their green premium is manageable (1–2% cost increase), but automakers show limited willingness to adopt them. The average capacity utilization rate of China's electric-furnace steel, key for low-carbon production, is only 50.5%.
A cost-sharing mechanism involving automakers, suppliers, consumers, and regulators is proposed to internalize the green premium, encouraging low-carbon material adoption and driving decarbonization upstream. The report calls on stakeholders to join the "Vehicle Carbon Footprint Snap" campaign to promote greener vehicle choices.
