Rise of ‘fuel-guzzling’ SUVs costing Australians $13bn extra at the pump per year, report finds

Exclusive: Thinktank says popularity of ‘big, dumb’ cars is turbocharging emissions and does not make sense in such an urbanised country

Surging SUV ownership means Australians are needlessly spending an extra $13bn a year to fuel their cars, and the trend is sending transport emissions into overdrive at the same time similar nations are reducing them.

Analysis from the Australia Institute has found that the recent uptake in SUVs in Australia has led to the nation’s vehicle fleet now being 24% less efficient than the UK’s, a similarly developed right-hand drive country.