SUVs to become extinct says Citroen CEO: What he really means

The current CEO of the French automobile brand Vincent Cobée recently stated some statements that have started huge debates on the internet and the entire automotive community. The Citroen Chief said that he believes that despite all the rage in the current market the beloved SUVs are not the future of mobility and will soon go extinct. He stated a few other opinions on why he thinks that the days of SUVs are numbered. On the surface, these statements could seem a little outlandish but to conclude this we first have to understand what he really means. So to understand where is coming from let’s dissect his statements on why he believes that automakers across the globe will discontinue producing SUVs.

Transition to EVs

According to Cobée, conventionally designed SUVs will no longer be produced because of the rapid transition to electric. He stated, the aerodynamics of a car will be given more consideration, and “anything high or squarish” will likely not be as efficient with the range. He continued by saying that the switch to EVs will usher in a period he refers to as the “post-SUV world.”

Aerodynamics

He stated that currently the automakers while producing SUVs powered by internal combustion engines can simply increase the fuel tank and offer more range. However, the same is just not feasible to done in case of EVs. So the manufacturers in the future will have to bid farewell to the big SUVs in order to achieve more range and performance.

Weight

Cobée also emphasized that producing EVs in SUV segments will become even more difficult because of the increased weight. He stated while an EV may gain more range by decreasing its weight, this is easier said than done. A low-slung aerodynamic vehicle, however, is much simpler to manufacture. He meant that  instead of only aiming to reduce the weight on boxy SUVs, automakers may start looking at building cars that sit lower and are more aerodynamic in the near future. He added that increasing an EV’s aerodynamics or engine efficiency has a much greater influence on the vehicle’s range than just lowering its weight.

Government regulations

In an interview with Autocar UK, the CEO of Citroen warned that governments across the world would soon implement vehicle taxation policies that would punish heavier and bigger cars, further endangering the marketability of SUVs. The CEO stated that he is certain that there will be a rule or an incentive in the future to reduce weights and sizes. Once automakers opt to create vehicles weighing less than 2 tonnes and having batteries less than 60-70 kWh, the SUV body type will suffer considerably.

Our thoughts

We think that although the statements may seem a little controversial judging by the current love of SUVs in the market the points stated y the Citroen boss make a lot of sense. If the global automakers do really want to push for EVs in the future producing SUVs will not make a whole lot sense. However, we believe that in general the SUVs will stay in the markets for the foreseeable future and will remain as the popular choice of segment.