It’s no secret that cars are getting heavier and heavier for several reasons. With increasing connectivity thanks to the many (and useful) active and passive safety systems (now mandatory for most) and the customer appetite for SUVs, the weight of cars has been constantly increasing in recent years.

Let’s take an illustrative example: the Mercedes 190 of 1982, the ancestor of the C-class, was 4.42 meters long and weighed, depending on the configuration, from 1080 to 1300 kg. Let’s jump forward more than 40 years and take a look at the current Mercedes C-Class. Its length is 4.75 meters, and its weight in the hybrid version from the mains exceeds two tons. To put these numbers into perspective, that’s more than the first S-Class (W116) launched in 1972, a top-of-the-range model.

And while it may seem that the problem is only about fuel consumption, the increasing weight of cars affects many other issues, such as a driver’s licensebut also paradoxically security.

Euro NCAP sounds the alarm

The greater the weight of the car, the greater the force required to brake it. These are the immutable laws of physics. Therefore, it goes without saying that heavier cars require more powerful braking systems.

In the event of an accident, the greater the weight, the greater the risk for passengers of other vehicles. This was noted by the European safety body Euro NCAP in its report on tests conducted in 2022. The organization published a note on the increase in weight of new cars, accompanied by a comparative table of tested vehicles for two periods: 2010-2012 and 2020-2022.

Thus, we note that over the decade, compact cars weighed on average more than 100 kilograms, 200 kilograms for E-segment models (Alfa Romeo Giulia, Audi A4…) and more than 130 kilograms for city SUVs. And when we separate out electric vehicles, these numbers rise dramatically: an average of 1,657 kilograms for an electric compact car, more than two tons for an electric D-segment model and 1,978 kilograms for an electric compact SUV.

So imagine today’s collision between a two-ton electric SUV and a ten-year-old compact car that weighs only 1,400 kilograms. Euro NCAP highlighted the need for adequate crash-absorbing structures and more effective driver assistance systems to protect not only other vehicles but also vulnerable road users such as cyclists and pedestrians. But isn’t this the snake biting its own tail, knowing that these new technologies will undoubtedly increase the weight of cars even more?

Driving license problems coming soon?

Another fundamental point in the constant increase in the weight of cars concerns restrictions set by the driver’s license. Currently, owners of category B license can drive cars the weight of which does not exceed 3.5 tons. We’re still a long way from that for mainstream cars, but as Bentley pointed out a while back, at this rate, A B license may not be sufficient in the future.

To confirm his theory, the British manufacturer took the Bentayga as an example in the version with an extended wheelbase: 2,514 kg, including a total weight of 3,250 kg. And this model is not electric. With batteries, this is well beyond the permissible limits. In the same vein, the new Volvo EX90, a top-of-the-line and all-electric SUV, weighs at least 2.8 tons, while the new BMW i7 with all the options basically flirts with three tons.

Some manufacturers seem to be aware of this problem, including Tesla, which has no intention of offering larger batteries than those it already sells. To maximize autonomy, the American manufacturer intends to reduce the weight of its cars and work on the aerodynamic aspect. And it works, as evidenced by Mercedes and its EQXX concept car.