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Auto manufacturers today are scratching their heads, trying to figure out why the millennial generation has little-to-no interest in owning a car. What car makers are failing to see is that this generation's interests and priorities have been redefined in the last two decades, pushing cars to the side while must-have personal technology products take up the fast lane.
It's no secret the percentage of new vehicles sold to 18- to 34-year-olds has significantly dropped over the past few years. Many argue this is the result of a weak economy, that the idea of making a large car investment and getting into more debt on top of college loans is too daunting for them. But that's not the "driving" factor, especially considering that owning a smartphone or other mobile device, with its monthly fees of network access, data plan, insurance, and app services, is almost comparable to the monthly payments required when leasing a Honda Civic.
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With recent studies showing a huge decline in auto sales among the millennial marketplace, it's no wonder auto manufacturers are in a mild state of panic, realizing they're missing out on a generation that wields $200 billion in purchasing power. Numbers don't lie, and over the last few years statistics have shown a significant drop in young people who own cars, as well as those with driver's licenses—and that decline continues among the youngest millennials, meaning this is not a trend that's going away anytime soon. From 2007 to 2011, the number of cars purchased by people aged 18 to 34, fell almost 30%, and according to a study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, only 44% of teens obtain a driver's license within the first year of becoming eligible and just half, 54% are licensed before turning 18. This is a major break with the past, considering how most teens of the two previous generations would race to the DMV for their license or permit on the day of their 16th birthday.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 14 2016, @12:12AM
sell like hotcakes. OK, the Galaxy Note 7 is having some probs.
Why is that? It's not because people need a new smart phone. They've owned one for 10 years.
It's a failure of marketing from Detroit. They've got to be figure out how to make their products cool. Hint: association with edgy young celebrities sells.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 14 2016, @12:32AM
Tay is edgy and young. So is Cortana. Get them both in the back seat and watch the sparks fly!
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 14 2016, @01:04AM
> Why is that? It's not because people need a new smart phone. They've owned one for 10 years.
It's because you can do so much more with a smartphone.
Cars just take you places so you can work, get stuff or get laid.
Phones let you order everything you need online, including food and even groceries from amazon.
They're great for cybersex and millenials are having the least amount of sex [latimes.com] of any generation since we started counting.
And there's little downside with a phone - you aren't going to get in a wreck, nobody is going to sue you for running them over, you don't have to worry about parking.
An expensive phone is a status symbol, but even the most expensive phone is well under $1K while a penis-compensating car is easily $50K.
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Wednesday September 14 2016, @03:13AM
and millenials are having the least amount of sex [latimes.com] of any generation since we started counting.
That's because they stare at their phones 24/7, lol. We used to look at girls: now, I see the girls walk by the guys who don't see the girls... they see Pokemon.
Hard to have sex when you don't even see people. (Now, at least... can't wait for the sex robots.......)
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 14 2016, @07:42AM
Bah, you just need to have a pokemon costume, and then…
(Score: 1) by tftp on Wednesday September 14 2016, @05:47AM
And there's little downside with a phone - you aren't going to get in a wreck, nobody is going to sue you for running them over, you don't have to worry about parking.
But why to stop there? If you stay at home you don't need clothes. You can save a lot! If you don't leave the bed 24/7 then you can also save on the square footage of the apartment and cut down on the food, as your energy loss will be minimal; perhaps, a hole in the wall, with the bed inside, will do fine! And, finally, if you don't live at all, savings are even greater!
People who don't use cars [note: != !(owning one)] don't see anything beyond a small patch of the city around them. They cannot carry stuff in the trunk; they cannot buy large things without having them delivered. For that reason they cannot own a house - if you have one, you carry stuff in and out quite frequently. Vacations are also limited to places that have transportation. You can rent a car, but if you don't drive regularly, it will be pretty dangerous, as you are an inexperienced driver. Perhaps you don't even have a license. Then renting is out of question; you have to pay someone to drive you, even if that is only an easy, pleasant fifteen minute drive.
I don't think we can live well without cars. Cars are needed simply due to geography of the country, unless you intentionally restrict yourself to a small patch of land. But in the nearest future we may not be required to drive these cars. I would be perfectly fine with that, as long as the cars are safe enough. Cars will become unnecessary when anyone can easily cast a personal portal to any other destination on the planet. Until then our physical bodies need to be mechanically carried around whenever you, residing at point A, want to be at point B. Today it is fashionable to tell yourself that you really don't want to be at B because A is good enough. If that fails, you look for someone who will carry you. This process depends on someone else. If that doesn't worry you at all, and you don't expect the need to rush across town at 3am because your elderly relative just had an accident... I guess then you are fine for now.
(Score: 3, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 14 2016, @06:27AM
Ugh. You are doing that thing where you assume people you disagree with are stupid.
Just because you don't have a car doesn't mean you aren't mobile.
Bicycles. Buses. Subways. Carpooling.
There are lots of ways for people to get around for their regular daily schedule and for the occasional exception there are ... rentals!
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Wednesday September 14 2016, @02:28PM
That's not so at all. People who walk or bike or take the bus arguably see much, much more of the city around them than people who drive through it, because they can take the time to safely notice all the things around them. And buying heavy things? Sure you can buy heavy things, and the delivery people will even carry it up the stairs for you. What's not to love about that? And even if you have to pay a delivery fee, it's still going to cost far less than a car.
There are a lot of options for travelling and experiencing a lot of ground that don't need to involve a car, but Americans are conditioned to believe they must have a car to enjoy them. If you pause and consider for a moment, they would surface for even the most ardent car enthusiast.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Wednesday September 14 2016, @02:22PM
"Cars just take you places so you can work, get stuff or get laid."
Use the phone to order online, get laid in your apartment. Can people really have sex in a Smart Car?
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 4, Funny) by Marand on Wednesday September 14 2016, @02:14AM
OK, the Galaxy Note 7 is having some probs.
Really? Everything I've seen in the news lately seems to indicate it's a pretty hot item.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 14 2016, @02:31AM
While celebrity marketing does work quite well, the key here isn't pop culture marketing but simply a product they want. Every teenager wants a cellphone, owning a car comes with real responsibility and a lot more costs.