Anti-SUV projects have actually required Wimbledon's organisers to stop shuttling tennis gamers and their entourages around London in Range Rovers and instead require the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic and Emma Raducanu to take television or a bus to travel to and from Centre Court.

In an open letter sent out to the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) today, the SUV Alliance demanded the immediate termination of its 10-year partnership with the British vehicle maker and for it to motivate gamers to utilize 'London's world-renowned public transportation network'.
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The letter states 'harmful supersized' Range Rover hybrid SUVs released for tennis pros during the competition posture a 'huge risk for children, pedestrians and bicyclists' in the capital.

The group - in a separate declaration - connected its issues to the death of two eight-year old-girls, Selena Lau and Nuria Sajjad, who were killed outside their main school in July 2023 just streets far from where the Championships were happening at the time.

Claire Freemantle, 48, crashed her Land Rover Defender into a crowd collected for an end-of-term tea party at the neighboring The Study Preparatory School, costing the lives of the 2 children and injuring 10 others. Medical checkup had initially revealed that she had suffered an epileptic seizure, leading to the loss of control of the ₤ 80,000 vehicle and was not charged. However, Freemantle was rearrested in January on suspicion of causing death by harmful driving, with a full investigation continuous.

The AELTC today reacted to the letter, saying it requires larger automobiles to carry players, their entourages and their 'substantial luggage, package bags, devices, and racquets'.

Anti SUV projects today composed to organisers of Wimbledon requiring them to ditch the competitors's 10-year partnership with Range Rover and instantly stop using its 'unsafe supersized' automobiles to shuttle bus players to and from the tournament

The SUV Alliance states the All England Club ought to instead require the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic and Emma Raducanu (pictured) to take television or a bus to travel to and from the competitors in southwest London

In the open letter addressed to the chair of the AELTC, Ms Deborah Jevans CBE, and Usama Al-Qassab, its marketing and commercial director, the project group said: 'We the undersigned are once again writing with dismay about using large SUVs as the main vehicle of the Wimbledon Championship, and the broader sponsorship of Wimbledon by Rover as a leading producer of these vehicles.

' Research has actually revealed that heavy and large SUVs, like the Range Rover, are especially harmful to kids and people strolling, wheeling and cycling.

' Making use of these vehicles stands in direct contradiction to the sport-positive message of the Championship and overlooks the issues of Londoners.'

It referenced a recent YouGov survey of 1,000 London grownups (performed between 5 and 7 April 2025) that discovered that 61 per cent of moms and dads in the capital are worried that bigger cars and trucks make it more harmful for children to walk and cycle.

' The likelihood of someone walking or biking being killed increases by 44 per cent when struck by an SUV compared to a little car, increasing further to 82 per cent for children. This is because of the additional weight of an SUV and style features such as a taller bonnet,' the letter goes on.

' A number of us are parents and grandparents ourselves and feel the issue of wanting to motivate our kids to walk, wheel, cycle and play outdoors - for health, mental health and their own autonomy - but at the exact same time fearing what could take place if our kids share the streets with supersized SUVs.'

JLR has been a main partner for Wimbledon given that 2015 and provides a fleet of plug-in hybrid cars to transfer players during the tournament

Organisers in 2015 said the plug-in electric hybrid Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Range Rover Velar (visualized) cars used to shuttle bus tennis pros are charged at the club 'utilizing 100% sustainable electrical power for near-silent running throughout The Championships'

The Range Rover Sport PHEV can be driven unique in EV mode for approximately 75 miles, indicating the vehicles released for players and their groups are often producing no tailpipe emissions

The letter likewise raised concern with the regional air pollution impact of AELTC utilizing Range Rover Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) cars - which can be driven for around 75 miles in electric-only mode if the battery is fully charged - to transport players, their entourages and VIPs to and from the event.

Organisers in 2015 stated the plug-in electric hybrid Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Range Rover Velar lorries used are charged at the club 'utilizing 100 per cent renewable electrical energy for near-silent running throughout The Championships'.

However, the anti-SUV group stated the vehicles will 'still release particulate pollution from tyre wear, a leading source of contamination in London, which is made more severe by the Range Rover's weight'.

The letter continues: 'We need to likewise be clear that this sponsorship is a form of advertising. The endorsement of big SUVs through collaborations like JLR and the AELTC drives an unneeded aspirational culture for ever larger cars, at the cost of public space and safety for others.

' Excessive advertising and marketing has added to SUV ownership surging in the UK, from simply 19 percent of sales 10 years ago to 62 percent of brand-new car sales in 2015.'

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Instead of utilizing Range Rover's provided fleet of PHEV designs, the project group recommended organisers make its 'big volumes of gamers and entourages around the tournament' rather utilize 'London's world-renowned public transport network' and 'shared transport and active travel alternatives' to 'set an example and to deliver the Championship's fundamental sporting message'.

It adds that 'where cars are essential' the organisers should just supply small electrical lorries while considering alternative automobile partners.

In an additional statement, Oliver Lord, head of the Clean Cities campaign group - which belongs to the SUV Alliance - said: 'It's impressive how Wimbledon firmly insists on releasing big SUVs in our congested capital in spite of outstanding public transportation and mounting proof of the harmful danger they posture to children.

' Why can't visitors utilize public transportation like most Londoners, at the minimum, more typical sized automobiles that don't crowd us off the roadways or threaten people walking and cycling?'

Wimbledon organisers respond JLR (previously Jaguar Land Rover and the parent group of Range Rover) was approached by This is Money to react to the open letter, with a representative telling us that it 'delays to the All England Lawn Tennis Club for comment'.

This is Money likewise contacted the AELTC for remark.

The All England Club states it utilizes bigger cars due to the fact that it needs to transport gamers, their teams and 'substantial luggage, kitbag, devices, and racquets' during the competition

The 2025 Wimbledon tournament began on Monday, with the anti-SUV campaigners providing their open letter on Wednesday. Pictured: Defending Men's Champion Carlos Alcaraz on Monday

A spokesperson for the All England Club informed us: 'JLR has been a crucial partner to The Championships because 2015, particularly with Range Rover this year.

'We have actually worked closely with them on the addition of a significant variety of lower emission plug-in hybrid vehicles in our fleet which, are being charged on-site with 100 per cent renewable electrical power.

'Given the length of Grand Slam events - three weeks from the start of practice to the conclusion of the competition - gamers generally choose to remain in domestic rather than hotel accommodation during their time at Wimbledon.

'This is a great increase for the city as players end up being part of the regional community, however it does need a lorry fleet to shuttle players in between their lodging and the premises.'

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The representative added: 'Players regularly take a trip with a minimum of three guests, (normally coach, physio, or family members) and frequently arrive directly from other tournaments without going home for weeks or perhaps months.

'We work carefully with these elite athletes and their groups to ensure suitable space, consisting of head space for them and their entourage, who likewise frequently have considerable baggage, kitbag, equipment, and racquets.

'Our objective is for that reason to accommodate each player and their group within one lorry versus the need for 2 separate lorries.

'Our focus this year remains for as numerous journeys as possible to be delivered in EV mode. Trip distances all happen within a seven-mile radius, however the average journey length is less than 5 miles, indicating the bulk can be provided on the EV variety of the hybrid Range Rover vehicles which we are utilizing.'

T&E's analysis of the new vehicle market found that the typical bonnet height of an automobile offered in the UK has leapt from 77cm in 2010 to 84cm in 2024

Analysis carried out by Loughborough University on behalf of T&E stated a driver of a RAM TRX truck is unable to see a child up to 9 years of ages straight in front of their bumper. For a chauffeur of a Land Rover Defender, the high bonnet blocks their view of kids up to 4. 5 years, it declared

The report states higher-fronted SUVs considerably increases the death rate when pedestrians are struck as they are more likely to be pulled under a moving lorry rather than bounce off them

Large SUVs under the spotlight The alliance's attack on Range Rover comes weeks after an environmental think tank dubbed SUVs a 'growing threat to public safety'.

It claimed their greater bonnets suggests chauffeurs are not able to see children as old as 9 standing directly in front of them. This, it stated, is a particular risk when motorists are leaving a driveway or parking area, or when taking a trip in stop-start traffic outside schools.

Transport & Environment, which produced the report, stated average bonnet heights for newly-sold cars and trucks in the UK is increasing by half a centimetre a year - reaching 83.8 cm in 2024 - due to the ongoing popularity of SUV-style lorries. It blamed squarely at the demand for JLR designs in Britain for accelerating this boost in bonnet height.

It declared that the front of SUVs generally strike adult pedestrians above the centre of gravity, typically very first striking important organs in the body's core, with a greater possibility of knocking them forward and down, and a greater danger of driving over them.

This is considered much more harmful than conventional hatchback and saloon cars with lower bonnets, which tend to strike pedestrians' legs, providing higher chances of falling towards the lorry, or of being deflected.

However, JLR (previously Jaguar Land Rover and the moms and dad business of Range Rover) hit back at that report, stating it fits all its brand-new designs with the 'newest in sophisticated safety innovation features' to reduce such situations. This includes pedestrian detection, 3D surround video cameras, and self-governing emergency braking.

Transport & Environment formerly accused supersized SUVs - like the Range Rover - of leaving less space for other road users in addition to being too huge for standard parking bays

Claire Freemantle, the motorist of the Land Rover Defender that hit and caused the death of the two schoolgirls on 6 July 2023, was initially jailed at the scene.

Following an initial examination, the Crime Prosecution Service (CPS) said Ms Freemantle had suffered an epileptic seizure behind the wheel, which triggered her to lose control of the vehicle that then drove through a fence and into the school playground.

As a result this meant she would not be charged, it stated.

At the time, her lawyer stated her epilepsy had 'never formerly manifested itself' and Ms Freemantle 'had actually always delighted in good health'.

However, in January, Freemantle was released on bail after being rearrested previously that month on suspicion of causing death by hazardous driving.

She was detained for the second time after the Met Police stated it evaluated its investigation following the CPS's choice last June not to charge her.

The Met Police said a specialist criminal activity evaluation group had 'determined lines of query which needed even more assessment'.

Speaking in action to the terrible incident, a JLR representative today informed This is Money: 'Our inmost sympathies stay with all those affected.

'The Police investigation is still continuous and for that reason it would be inappropriate for us to offer additional comment.'
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