Modern cars have a weight problem. Even vehicles we still call "compact" have gotten longer, wider, and heavier with each passing generation. Full-size trucks can weigh three tons before anyone climbs aboard, while some electric SUVs push the needle on the scale even further.
But cars didn’t suddenly become heavy because of one new regulation, one enormous touchscreen, or one giant battery. They gained weight the same way most of us do: A little bit at a time.
