Bigger and bigger cars are contributing to increasing emissions from transportation

Transportation accounts for the majority of Vermont’s green house gas emissions, and those emissions have been on the rise.

Part of the issue is the kind of vehicles Vermonters are buying. According to data from the Vermont Vehicle and Automotive Distributors Association (VADA), seven years ago 55% of new vehicles sold were SUVs or light trucks. Last year it was 80%.

You don’t get the full emissions benefits of increasing vehicle efficiency when bigger and bigger models dominate new vehicle sales.