Why American cars are so big

AMERICANS LOVE to super-size—and not just their fast food. They favour huge sport-utility vehicles (SUVs) and pickup trucks over small cars. Some 8.7m hit the road in 2023, accounting for more than half of all sales of new vehicles, according to JATO Dynamics, a research firm. Although European cars are also getting bigger, American ones still have a comfortable lead: in 2022 the average car sold in America weighed 1,857kg, almost 20% more than the average in Europe. Wide roads and big parking spaces accommodate this preference for hefty rides—and so does the law. But a loophole that for nearly 50 years has incentivised sales of big vehicles will soon be tightened. Will that lead Americans to buy smaller cars?