Research by motoring campaign group Transport & Environment (T&E) has found that new cars are getting 1cm wider every two years.
This could be good news for bodyshops focusing on cosmetic repairs, as wider vehicles are already too large for many car parking spaces, meaning they are more vulnerable to bumps and scrapes.
The T&E data also suggests this widening trend will continue as the number of SUVs entering the market continues to rise.
T&E’s research into new vehicles found that the average width of new cars expanded to 180.3cm in the first half of 2023, up from 177.8cm in 2018.
As a consequence, 52% of the top 100 new cars sold in the EU last year were too wide for the minimum specified on-street parking space.
Meanwhile, off-street parking is a growing problem for even the average new car (180cm wide), and an even greater one for large luxury SUVs, which measure up to 240cm.
