2019 was a good year for sport utility vehicles, or SUVs. Rising demand for SUVs drove record sales for German carmakers such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz. But some observers worry that their popularity could lead to more pollution from such vehicles and a reduction in the environmental benefits of electric cars. BMW reported last week that it sold a record 2,168,516 vehicles last year. The Reuters news agency says the record resulted, in part, from a 21% increase in sales of the company’s “X” model SUVs. These models now make up around 40% of BMW’s sales worldwide. At Mercedes-Benz, the world’s best-selling premium car line, every third luxury car sold last year was an SUV.