SUV Craze Contributed to Relapse in U.K. Passenger-Car Emissions

Emissions from passenger cars fell by less than the U.K. government expected before last year, in part because of the rising popularity of sport utility vehicles.

Average emissions from new cars in Britain fell 13% from 2011 through 2016, then increased 6% through 2019, the National Audit Office said in a report Friday. Several factors combined to cancel out any progress from sales of battery-powered vehicles, including surging demand for SUVs, increased road traffic and revisions in the way emissions are measured in the wake of the industry’s diesel scandal.