Times are changing, and even the most die-hard car enthusiast has to admit that there will be a day in the future where the internal combustion engine will be obsolete.
Trends change based on consumer wants and needs. Things like the economy, automaker offerings, and family trends all affect consumer choice.
We all know how hot SUVs and Crossovers are, but did you know that this trend will ultimately help electric vehicles become part of the mainstream?
It’s true, and here’s why.
Doug Demuro, one of my favorite automotive journalists and YouTube personalities, said it best when he said that SUVs no longer come with such a huge disadvantage in efficiency when compared with cars.
People are willing and able to pay for the slight disadvantage in efficiency.
Let’s compare the 2018 Mazda 6 and 2018 Mazda CX-5. Both use Mazda’s 2.5 Liter, 4 cylinder, naturally-aspirated SkyActiv engine.
The Mazda 6 gets an EPA estimated 26 miles per gallon in the city and 35 on the highway for a combined 29 miles per gallon overall. The CX-5 gets 25 miles per gallon in the city and 31 on the highway for a combined 28 miles per gallon overall. Adding all-wheel drive to the CX-5 brings that overall total down to 26 miles per gallon overall.
This tells us two things. First, it means that even though the same engine is being used in two different vehicles, the configuration is preventing both from being equal in terms of efficiency. Secondly, the same engine still produces worse fuel economy numbers in the SUV because of several factors, some of which include the addition of all-wheel drive and the additional weight of the SUV.
Even though this difference isn’t as great as it was in the 1990s and 2000s when SUVs and trucks were getting 15 miles per gallon to a car’s 25 miles per gallon, there is still a difference. People are willing to pay for that difference right now because they are currently negligible enough to justify.
Let’s also not forget that these numbers are indicative of perfect driving conditions as well. Often during testing and real-world situations, consumers will note that fuel efficiency doesn’t quite match up to what was advertised, because after they buy a car, they just drive it without constantly thinking about what can be done to hit those EPA numbers.
We can arrive at a few conclusions from all of this.
A similar issue arose in the mid to late 2000s when everybody bought an SUV, those SUVs were getting 10 and 15 miles per gallon less than cars at the time, and nobody could afford the gas for them anymore.
When that happened, a mass migration from large SUVs to cars took place. We have arrived back to where we were before that happened… a time when everyone needs an SUV again. Though things have changed and the fuel efficiency gap is nowhere near what it used to be, even one, two, or three,miles per gallon less means paying more at the pump, and rising costs make that matter exponentially more the higher they go.
Gas prices will go back up. It’s a limited-quantity resource, and even running low or running out isn’t the only factor in driving fuel prices through the roof.
Where do we turn when that happens?
With so many manufacturers abandoning their cars in favor of SUVs, there may not be too many choices out there for cars large enough to accommodate families should gas prices rise dramatically. That leaves the door wide open for electric vehicles.
By far, manufacturers are turning to electric options more quickly than other types of gasoline alternatives, like hydrogen. Some manufacturers like Toyota and Honda are experimenting with hydrogen-powered vehicles, but they aren’t as popular or as advanced as electric and hybrid options.
It seems that every manufacturer has a plan to add some type of electrification to their vehicle lineups in the next several years.
When fuel prices do inevitably increase, there will be a large group of consumers that will look to save money where they can, and electric vehicles are poised to take that baton when it’s passed.
The most recent SUV craze, when looked upon in retrospect will prove to be one of the largest driving forces in a switch to electric vehicles. It will be the final chapter in the book, and though the total switch to electric vehicles won’t happen overnight, it will truly be the beginning of the end of the internal combustion engine as we know it.
And sure, Doug Demuro is right on the money in what he says,and the efficiency gap between cars and SUVs is almost nothing. People are willing to swallow that little extra cost right now, but when money is tight, “almost” matters… a whole lot.
