How much does a smart car weigh and why are models adding more and more kilos?

Technology, safety and, above all, electrification have added more mass to vehicles, a problem that limits their efficiency.

n half a century the weight of the most common cars in Europe has increased by 57% . To illustrate this phenomenon, suffice as an example of the popular Volkswagen Golf. It appeared on the market in 1974 and then weighed

Its current eighth-generation descendant, in its basic version (110 hp), marks 1,265 on the scale

In 1990 , the average weight of passenger cars in Europe was

The reason for this significant increase in such a short time lies in a general increase in size in

And to this are added some

On the other hand, and although it cannot be seen with the naked eye, the crash tests (EuroNcap), which have forced manufacturers to reinforce the chassis structures and body panels with parts , have also contributed to this escalation in dimensions. heavy duty protectors

And, as if that were not enough, the explosion of the SUV phenomenon

The added weight of electrification

However, this progressive increase in the weight of cars

And also due to changing trends among car buyers who now prefer smaller models among the increasingly extensive range of compact SUVs.  

At present, the average weight of cars in Europe remains stable, below 1,400 kilos, according to data from the specialized consultant Inovev , which points to a change in trend among regular users of traditional family sedans and now they prefer smaller models . small , but SUV format ( Renault Captur, Seat Arona, Volkswagen T-Cross, Kia Stonic or Peugeot 2008, for example).  

The weight of electrification

However, another determining factor has been the start of electrification in the car, which has once again shot up the figures. Electric cars are considerably heavier because of their large batteries.

In ten years, these components have managed to lower their price by up to 90%, but they have not managed to become lighter , since on average they weigh between 250 and 300 kilos.

And, although electric cars require fewer components in their mechanics, the balance is still negative and directly harms their energy performance and also their general behavior .

The mass of the same model can experience significant variations depending on the technology of its mechanics. For example, a thermal gasoline Renault Mégane weighs 1,306 kilos , while the 100% electric version goes up to 1,590 with the small battery (300 kilometers of autonomy) and reaches up to 1,710 with the largest capacity (450 kilometers), a difference of 404 kilos

For their part, hybrid solutions (MHEV microhybrids, HEV conventional hybrids and plug-in hybrids) have also contributed to increasing the weight of new vehicles, because they require more components

And also because they carry batteries that increase it, especially in the plug-in ones, since they are high-capacity to have an electric autonomy of more than 40 kilometers.