(Original Source: Wikimedia Commons)
The Cybertruck, an electric pickup truck developed by billionaire Elon Musk, was quite a mold breaker in its own right. Whether it’s the unusual design, the promise of cleaner electric trucks, or its humorous first appearance in 2019 (during which they broke the display model’s window), the vehicle was a media sensation due to its ubiquity. When it was finally released four years later, it was welcomed with a stream of eager buyers and enthusiasts hoping to experience this unique piece of technology.
However, the Cybertruck was soon met with an onslaught of issues, from minor technical problems to lethal fire risks. Most importantly, consumers saw the Cybertruck as dangerously bulky, and it hit pedestrians and other vehicles harder than Tesla’s stock was hit shortly after its release. Unfortunately, the Cybertruck is not the first vehicle to raise concerns over size, as other pickup trucks and SUVs (Sports Utility Vehicles) also share the same pressing concern.
How did these towering vehicles make their way into modern society so seamlessly, despite their numerous design flaws?
The Rise of Larger Vehicles
One way to understand the rise of SUVs and similarly large vehicles is to interpret the historical perspectives of consumers and producers.
In the wake of the 1973 Oil Crisis, Congress passed legislation that demanded more fuel-efficient cars in an attempt to conserve oil. This made the production of cars noticeably more expensive, especially for companies unable to quickly develop new vehicles and engines that met this standard. As a result, the car companies had to find a way around this.
And indeed they did. The legislation that Congress passed had put looser restrictions on light trucks than passenger vehicles. This meant the car companies simply had to make a consumer-friendly, everyday “light truck” to bypass the fuel economy restrictions.
But how do car manufacturers create a “consumer-friendly light truck” to maintain profits? The task was surprisingly simple: reuse the station wagon’s design, make the car’s frame, or chassis, larger, and, for good measure, lobby Congress to classify the “Sports Utility Vehicle” (SUV) as a light truck to bypass the emission requirements. Simple as that. After all, it was far more feasible than waiting for the development of cheaper, more fuel-efficient engines.
The manufacturers didn’t stop there. They followed up by making the already-existing pickup trucks more appealing to buyers by adding features such as a back row to seat more family members. Pickup trucks were already classified as light trucks with looser emission standards, but consumers saw them as farm vehicles rather than a lifestyle, so adding these new qualities made the trucks more attractive and functional for customers. From there, it was just a matter of convincing the public via advertisements.
From the buyers’ perspective, the finished products were a massive success. Car companies marketed the image of an ideal vehicle that was essential to families for its vast utility. A taller chassis differentiated the SUV and the modern pickup truck from the station wagon, another vehicle type with similar utility, and ultimately made it more appealing to customers.
Most notably, SUVs saw use in urban areas, not just in outdoor activities. Car companies, being companies, regularly designed new vehicles that kept customers excited for the next product, so they eventually approached a less rugged design that helped these large vehicles blend into the urban setting. Gradually, people saw the pickup truck as useful for more common tasks, such as loading groceries, rather than for relatively niche hobbies such as dirt bikes. SUVs also started seating more children than carrying fishing equipment or camping gear over time.
As a result, these new types of vehicles spread not only in America, but also throughout the world when foreign car manufacturers caught on to this trend. The policies meant to limit cars had inspired automobile manufacturers to not only bypass these restrictions, but also flourish under them.
Risks and Consequences
Unfortunately, while the SUV and the pickup truck were praised for their image of utility, their design also had serious consequences.
A chief concern about the larger vehicles is the amount of pollution that they cause. Numerous studies have demonstrated that SUVs have worse mileage and release more carbon dioxide than the average passenger car. In fact, SUVs are some of the highest sources of pollution, second only to electricity generation.
Furthermore, the two vehicle types have serious issues in their design due to their increased bulk. Not only would the larger size pose a larger risk to pedestrians, but the higher center of mass makes flip-overs more common. Also, the higher passenger cabin makes it harder to see directly in front of the car, making it easy for someone to unintentionally strike a small child or pet directly in front of the truck.
What might be even more concerning is the fact that consumers and producers are cooperating to form the feedback loop of “autobesity,” where SUVs and pickup trucks grow larger over time. From the consumers’ perspective, driving in a passenger car no longer feels safe and secure, especially when surrounded by towering pickup trucks with large custom tires. Most people respond to this fear by buying a larger vehicle to feel more secure. This worry of being dwarfed spreads to other people on the road and leads to a feedback loop of growing demand for increasingly larger vehicles, to which companies are happy to oblige.
What Could We Do?
Given these trends in consumer preferences, we might eventually experience a downward spiral in which our cars continue to get larger and larger, putting everyone else who doesn’t adapt at risk. Very quickly, our world could become extremely unsafe and polluted. However, this doesn’t mean that we can’t change this situation for the better. Public information is likely the most effective strategy, as few people know about the issue of large vehicles in the first place. Furthermore, we could advocate for federal regulations against large vehicles to reverse the policy that inspired the creation of dangerously large vehicles. As a hidden crisis, it is important for us to recognize the urgency of this issue and act accordingly, by buying less SUVs or informing others.
Sources:
Milman, Oliver. “How SUVs conquered the world – at the expense of its climate.” The Guardian, 1 September 2020, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/sep/01/suv-conquered-america-climate-change-emissions, accessed 10/19/25.
Rechtin, Mark. “The Evolution and Rise of the SUV – Reference Mark. ” MotorTrend, 22 August 2018, https://www.motortrend.com/features/the-evolution-and-rise-of-the-suv-reference-mark, accessed 10/19/25.
Bradsher, Kieth. “High and Mighty: The Dangerous Rise of the SUV.” New York PublicAffairs™, 2003, https://archive.org/details/highmightydan00brad/mode/2up, accessed 10/19/25.