The United States thinks again:the electric car must become smaller and more accessible

Compact dimensions and affordable prices are the only way to increase the adoption (and profitability) of electric.And while the USA prepares to say goodbye to the gigantism of the car, in Italy the Panda...

The problem of car size growth has been out of control for some time, not only in United States, where the extra large size of the car (even the electric one) has until now also been a cultural problem, as well as a problem of margins and profits for the industry, as we will see shortly.Here things are no better:the cars in Europe they become wider by 1 centimeter every two years.That's right.This is what emerged from recent research by Transport & Environment which states that the trend will continue due to the growing public favor for SUVs and crossovers, now the type of car preferred by Italians too.

How we went from Pandina to the “monster” Great Panda

But before going to the United States, let's see a very explicit example that concerns us closely.Fiat has just announced the start of production of the Grande Panda, also electric for the first time.Well, the first Panda, the one from 1980, was long 3 meters and 38, 1.46 meters wide and weighed the maximum 810 kilos.The new Grande Panda, produced in Serbia and on sale since autumn, exceeds 4 meters in length, almost 80 meters in width and even if the weight has not yet been declared, it is almost assumed 1300 kilos.

Weights and dimensions worthy of an SUV.A new “more inspirational” Panda as the now eighty-five year old designer defined it Giorgetto Giugiaro, who jokingly called his first Panda a "refrigerator" due to the essential lines and which in an interview with Rai retraced its developments.A Panda, the original one, which with its essential aesthetics, its sparse interiors, its squared lines and its small dimensions which earned it the nickname of Pandina (a revised and corrected version of the current model will also remain on the list under this name), managed to win over over 6 million people;nostalgia for the past?Take a look at electric replicas of the original model.

The size and weight of the car also impact safety

In short, the spread of the gigantism of the car, electric and otherwise, seems to have no end. About half of new cars sold are already too large for the average parking space in our cities.The average width of new cars exceeded 1.80 meters already in 2023, the average was 1.77 meters in 2018, a growth trend that has continued undisturbed for decades and which brings with it a series of problems, such as safety for pedestrians and cyclists and the taking away of public space from people.

Also the progressive increase in height represents a problem:an increase of 10 centimeters in the front part of the vehicles, the bonnet so to speak, entails a 30 percent higher risk of mortality in the event of collisions with pedestrians and cyclists.Going forward at this rate, the evolutions made thanks to the electric transition of the car towards one progressive reduction of CO2 emissions, risk being compromised by the gigantism of cars.

The possible role of deterrence against gigantism

What is needed?A rethink of the industry.And a deterrent, such as the introduction of parking fees and motorway tolls differentiated by size, as decided Paris, where last February citizens spoke in favor of a measure that will triple the cost of parking on city streets for SUV owners.In short, that sustainable lightness of the car which should drive the industry towards greater efficiency remains unheard for now.Let's hope for a quick turnaround.An inversion that seems to find ever greater consensus in the United States.

Ford, to spread the electric car in the USA, compact and accessible models are needed

“We believe smaller, more affordable vehicles are the way to go for EVs in volume”, which is to say that smaller and more accessible vehicles are the way to go to increase the sales volumes of electric vehicles.This was reiterated in a recent interview given to CNBC Jim Farley, CEO of Ford, who reiterated how the high cost of the electric car is mainly due to the costs of the huge batteries necessary to ensure reasonable autonomy for electric maxi-SUVs sold in the United States.An epochal rethink, which reverses an old rule applied for years to internal combustion vehicles:“The bigger the vehicle, the bigger the margin for the manufacturer.”

Has the era of extinction for "monster vehicles" begun? Yes, in the United States, which has always been the homeland of gigantism of the car, of large and heavy pick ups and SUVs, the seed of repentance seems to be born.Large vehicles require large, heavy batteries, with a high price that Americans don't seem willing to pay:the electric Ford F-150 Lightning pick up costs around 68 thousand dollars, 20 thousand more than the equivalent petrol model.

The case of Ford in the USA could mark a reversal of trend

In short, if confirmed by the facts, Ford's change of direction could also be a stimulus for other American car manufacturers. Dimensional repentance, which could see a real turnaround in Ford production, with the announcement of new and more compact electric models, has a strong economic leverage:the strategy of proposing electric versions of large combustion vehicles seems not to have worked.In short, Ford's approach towards electrification could also radically change on the American market in the immediate future, with a new platform suitable for smaller electric models and decidedly more accessible, we are talking about prices around 30-40 thousand dollars (in Europe Ford has just launched theElectric Explorer, a first step towards more compact and accessible models).

Furthermore, in the United States, those who choose an electric vehicle have access to a tax credit of 7,500 dollars, a figure that has a greater impact the more affordable the purchase price is.Of course, large electric vehicles will continue to have a prominent place in the production of Ford and other manufacturers, but as Farley himself said, the American automaker will have to "make much smarter choices”.We trust that other manufacturers will follow…