As we strive to become a global automotive leader, we must stay alert to the hidden challenge of 'increasing vehicle weight'. Our progress in the automotive sector should genuinely reflect the core values of 'enhanced safety, energy efficiency, and environmental friendliness' through rational consumption and technological innovation.

The dynamic and stylish new energy vehicles cruising our streets may seem agile, but they conceal ultra-large batteries weighing hundreds of kilograms. This substantial 'heart' provides extended driving ranges but also silently leads to higher energy consumption, greater demands on braking systems, and increased challenges for material strength. The weight of the power battery undermines the energy efficiency gains from technological advancements, allowing 'range anxiety' to persist in a new form.

'The continuous rise in vehicle weight does not signify progress in the automotive industry; instead, it contradicts the fundamental goals of energy conservation, emission reduction, and environmental friendliness, creating a profound paradox concerning resources, the environment, and sustainable development,' stated Han Zhiyu, a professor at the School of Automotive Studies at Tongji University. As we aim for automotive excellence, we must remain vigilant against the invisible obstacle of 'increasing weight'. Only by ensuring that our progress in the automotive industry truly embodies the principles of 'greater safety, energy efficiency, and environmental friendliness' through rational consumption and technological innovation can we navigate towards a truly sustainable future.

Average New Vehicle Weight Increases by 30% Over a Decade

In recent years, consumers have intuitively noticed that vehicles are becoming larger, but few realize this also means they are getting heavier. According to annual statistical data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the average curb weight of domestically produced passenger vehicles in China has risen from 1,312 kg in the second half of 2012 to 1,704 kg in 2024, an increase of 392 kg—or nearly 30%—over more than a decade.

This trend can be attributed to the rise of SUVs, particularly mid-to-large-sized models, and the addition of in-car amenities such as televisions, refrigerators, and plush seating. Notably, as new energy vehicles (NEVs) account for an increasing share of new vehicle sales, the issue of 'weight management' for NEVs has become more pressing.

Recently, the MIIT released key parameters for a batch of upcoming new energy SUVs, revealing that some models have a curb weight as high as 3 tons. A recent media review of the curb weights of mainstream large new energy SUVs in China found that many products weigh in at 2.5 tons, with some even surpassing 3 tons and reaching up to 3.5 tons—comparable to a Coaster bus, which can accommodate up to 19 seats.

In response, Han Zhiyu bluntly stated that the significant increase in vehicle weight directly contradicts the core development goal of energy conservation and emission reduction. Basic physics principles dictate that a vehicle's energy consumption during driving is proportional to its mass. Heavier vehicles require more energy to move. For NEVs, larger battery packs and heavier bodies lead to a significant rise in electricity consumption per kilometer, directly increasing power demand and resulting in higher carbon emissions during electricity generation. Shifting carbon emissions upstream similarly undermines the environmental benefits of NEVs.

Secondly, increased vehicle weight also exacerbates the exploitation and consumption of finite resources. Han Zhiyu pointed out that larger sizes, increased steel usage, and more massive battery packs will inevitably consume more steel, non-ferrous metals, chemical materials, and rare metals. Based solely on the 72 kg difference in average vehicle weight between 2023 and 2024, an additional 1.782 million tons of materials were consumed in 2024 (calculated based on 27.477 million new vehicles produced in 2024). This means that if material usage per vehicle remained at 2023 levels, an additional 1.092 million new vehicles could have been produced in 2024. It is worth mentioning that the lithium, cobalt, and nickel required for NEV batteries have limited global reserves, and their extraction processes inherently cause a certain degree of environmental damage. The widespread increase in vehicle weight accelerates the depletion of these non-renewable resources while also posing more complex disassembly and more severe recycling challenges.

Han Zhiyu believes that the trend of 'bigger is better' and 'pursuing luxury' reflects a certain deviation in automotive consumption culture and industrial development philosophy. Many automotive brands cater to some consumers' preferences for 'a sense of volume' and 'material stacking' with so-called 'high-end' and 'luxury' labels. However, true technological progress and industrial upgrading should be reflected in material technology, structural optimization, and lightweight design, achieving 'weight reduction' while ensuring safety and enhancing performance. Han Zhiyu emphasized that consumers' reasonable pursuit of space and comfort, as well as the objective limitations of battery technology development stages, are all realistic factors that must be understood. However, this does not mean that the trend of uncontrolled vehicle weight should be ignored or tolerated. We cannot overlook the energy and resource waste caused by 'heavily furnished large spaces' simply because vehicles are defined as 'intelligent mobile spaces'.

The Importance of Lightweighting Should Not Be Overlooked

Industry insiders point out that if a high-end electric SUV is equipped with a battery pack exceeding 100 kWh, the battery system alone will weigh over 600 kg, accounting for approximately 20% of the vehicle's total mass. This 'battery-stacking' solution may alleviate range anxiety but significantly increases the vehicle's base weight. Moreover, a heavier body requires a more powerful drivetrain and braking system, creating an engineering dilemma of 'spiraling weight increase'.

Lightweighting has seemingly been less discussed amid the wave of electrification, intelligence, and connectivity, but this does not mean the automotive industry should overlook its importance. On the contrary, it is the fundamental cornerstone for achieving sustainable development in these three trends: a lighter body directly extends range, enhances handling, and frees up space for intelligent hardware, representing a precise subtraction that runs through engineering. Currently, technological explorations in lightweighting mainly focus on three interrelated areas: advanced material applications, integrated manufacturing processes, and battery pack structural optimization, forming a systematic lightweighting solution.

Tesla serves as a typical example. Recently, Lars Moravy, Vice President of Vehicle Engineering at Tesla, stated in an interview with foreign media that the recently tested Model X weighs only 2,367 kg, successfully shedding 181 kg compared to its debut version a decade ago. Much of this weight reduction comes from technological upgrades rather than 'feature cuts'. For example, replacing heavier induction motors with lighter permanent magnet motors and adopting new half-shafts reduced weight by approximately 45 kg; by improving cell energy density, 300 fewer cells were needed to maintain range, and structural optimizations further reduced weight by 41 kg. In Tesla's view, just as a person cannot run far with a heavy backpack, the same applies to vehicles. When a vehicle's weight is reduced by 10%, its range naturally increases by more than 10%. More importantly, a lighter body means less kinetic inertia, providing lightweight models with greater safety margins during emergency braking and evasive maneuvers, as dictated by the laws of physics.

The NIO Lex L90 follows a similar approach. In terms of its body-in-white, although high-strength materials account for 84%, 34% of the structure relies on aluminum alloys, while high-strength hot-formed steel is still used in key crash zones such as the A-pillars. The rear floor of the vehicle adopts a one-piece cast aluminum alloy rear floor, which is not only lighter but also significantly more integrated. The Lex's battery also achieves a system energy density of 193.2 Wh/kg through structural optimization and improved energy density, allowing for a lighter battery while maintaining the same range. Additionally, the Lex L90 integrates 12 cooling system components, such as the air conditioning compressor and battery cooling plate, resulting in an 81 kg weight reduction.

Further Improvement in Laws and Regulations Is Urgently Needed

As Han Zhiyu stated, reversing the trend of increasingly heavy new energy vehicles requires collaborative efforts from multiple parties. More importantly, it necessitates top-level design and legislative measures at the policy level to curb this trend. International experience shows that the EU's vehicle weight tax and Japan's 'super-heavy vehicle' restriction policies demonstrate that using economic levers and standard constraints to guide automotive lightweighting is a feasible approach.

On January 1st of this year, the national standard 'Limit of Energy Consumption for Electric Vehicles—Part 1: Passenger Cars' was officially implemented. As the world's first mandatory standard for electric vehicle energy consumption limits, it compels automakers to make substantive technological upgrades and restrict energy consumption levels through stricter and more systematic indicator designs, curbing the growing 'obesity' trend of electric vehicles. Analysis indicates that the new standard comprehensively considers factors such as the current state of energy consumption in pure electric passenger vehicles, potential for energy-saving technologies, cost control, and energy consumption performance of special vehicle models. It proposes energy consumption limits for different vehicle weights, tightening the previous voluntary standard by approximately 11% and introducing indicator requirements tailored to the energy consumption differences among vehicle models with varying usage characteristics and technological features.

At the same time, fiscal and tax reforms are also imminent. 'The current regulations, which calculate automobile consumption tax based on engine displacement, could be revised to calculate it based on vehicle curb weight. In this way, heavier vehicles would incur higher taxes, promoting lightweighting and energy conservation in the automotive industry,' Han Zhiyu pointed out in an interview with . Currently, China's automobile consumption tax is levied based on displacement, which not only exempts the increasingly large-scale new energy vehicles from taxation, reducing a portion of national fiscal revenue, but also fails to use economic means to curb the trend of new energy vehicles becoming heavier. Han Zhiyu believes that a vehicle's energy consumption (fuel consumption for gasoline vehicles, gas consumption for natural gas vehicles, electricity consumption for electric vehicles, etc.) is generally linearly proportional to its curb weight. Therefore, vehicles with different powertrains can uniformly use curb weight as the basis for taxation, with progressive tax rates set according to different weights—the higher the curb weight, the higher the consumption tax rate.

On the other hand, Han Zhiyu suggested linking a vehicle's daily electricity consumption to taxes and fees, establishing a separate electricity pricing standard for new energy vehicles beyond industrial and residential electricity rates, such as a 'commercial electricity' category. The heavier the electric vehicle and the more electricity it consumes, the higher the taxes and fees, effectively achieving the same effect as imposing a fuel tax on gasoline vehicles to promote fuel efficiency.

It is worth mentioning that a research report indicates that consumers are shifting from comparing parameters to seeking lifestyle compatibility when choosing vehicles, placing higher demands on comprehensive experiences such as space and convenience. This change in consumer attitudes is forcing automakers to reevaluate their product strategies. Some automakers have already begun promoting 'high energy efficiency' rather than 'high weight' as product selling points, emphasizing driving range performance per unit mass.

As Han Zhiyu said, 'China's fuel vehicle tax and fee system once effectively suppressed the manufacturing and consumption of large-sized vehicles. Now it's time for change—it's time to achieve 'equal rights for gasoline and electric vehicles'.' This battle for balance among safety, efficiency, cost, and performance has become a crucial fight that new energy vehicles must win to truly mature.

Note: This article was first published in the 'Hot Topic Tracking' column of the February 2026 issue of magazine. Please stay tuned.

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Article Source: Auto Review

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