Brief - The Hustle

Do cars have a weight problem?

Written by Jacob Cohen | Feb 10, 2022 10:37:21 AM

Cars have long been gaining weight. Since 1990, the average mass of US vehicles has increased 25%.

It’s a theme among electric cars, too. For instance, in 2020, the average EV sold in Europe was 16% heavier than the average of all vehicles sold.

In the US, heavy hitters include:

  • GMC’s Hummer EV (9k+ pounds)
  • Rivian’s R1T pickup (~7k pounds)
  • Ford’s F-150 Lightning (~6.5k pounds, 35% more than its gasoline twin)

The challenge here is that more weight means more raw materials needed, which is already a challenge for the EV market.

As they (probably) say, “new solutions, new problems.”