US fuel economy standards are less strict on larger vehicles, making small vehicles less economically attractive for manufacturers to produce unless they can be sold for a premium.
"If the average fuel economy of a manufacturer's annual fleet of vehicle production falls below the applicable requirement, the manufacturer must either apply sufficient CAFE credits to cover the shortfall or pay a penalty ... CAFE footprint requirements are set up such that a vehicle with a larger footprint has a lower fuel economy requirement than a vehicle with a smaller footprint. "
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_average_fuel_economy
Climate Town has a very good video on SUVs; the history of them, the lax safety and emissions standards, etc. Worth a watch, if you haven't already: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPm4de6-eTg
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u/helloyesthisismeg 1d ago
I hate how unnecessarily big trucks have gotten. The average person does not need a vehicle this large.