00:00 Once contained to farms and off-roading, sport utility vehicles are increasingly squeezing their way onto Paris' narrow roads.
00:08 Nearly half of all new passenger cars sold in France are now SUVs.
00:15 And with each passing year, they get bigger and bigger.
00:19 Transport et Environnement has analyzed the 100 best-selling vehicles on the European market.
00:28 And we found that overall, they are one centimeter wider every two years.
00:32 This phenomenon of vehicle obesity occurs in cities that are already dense, where there isn't much space,
00:38 and where there's a need to reduce the role of the car in order to share space with pedestrians and motorists.
00:45 Besides taking up more physical space, Paris officials say SUVs emit more pollution,
00:51 require wider parking slots, and are a hazard to pedestrians and cyclists.
00:56 One study found that car noses raised by 10 centimeters carry a 30% higher risk of fatalities.
01:04 A new levy, approved in a referendum on Sunday, aims to kick them out of the city.
01:11 It's a very, very bad idea, you know.
01:13 Yves Carra is a spokesperson for the Mobility Club of France.
01:17 He says SUVs in Europe are still small, at least compared to the U.S.,
01:22 and that officials are ignoring one important thing, that the U in SUV means utility.
01:29 If you buy it, it's because you really need it.
01:33 To get around, to go to work, to take the kids to school,
01:36 and to point the finger and accuse the people of Paris of driving these cars,
01:40 and making them pay a very, very high price,
01:43 because supposedly these cars are worse for the planet than others, is a scandal.
01:50 What's happening in Paris could ripple out across Europe.
01:53 London's mayor, Sadiq Khan, told the British daily The Guardian he's open to a similar levy,
01:59 if the one in Paris proves effective.
02:01 And there's reason to believe it could change consumer behavior.
02:05 In the same way, the introduction of ultra-low emission zones have impacted diesel cars.
02:12 We're seeing a massive decline in the registration of diesel cars over the past few years,
02:18 in cities like London, and then also Paris and Amsterdam,
02:22 because of the measures they've been taking at a city level,
02:25 where actually it was going to cost you more to use these vehicles.
02:28 People factor it into their choice.
02:31 Even if consumers ditch SUVs for sedans,
02:35 they won't exactly be getting the mini vehicles of yesteryear.
02:39 Bigger vehicles often mean bigger profits for car manufacturers.
02:44 And since the turn of the century, the average car in Europe
02:47 has not only gotten wider, but heavier.
02:50 It's known as auto-obesity.
02:52 And as any dieter knows, it's a lot easier to gain weight than it is to lose it.
02:59 Toni Waterman, CGTN, Paris, France.
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