Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Why American motorists are walking away from automobiles

While it was arguably a more minor occasion than the launch of the first moving assembly line, another world-changing event took place outside the old Ford Motor Co. plant in Highland Park, Michigan, 100 years ago, when Henry Ford himself dug out a spade full of dirt on what would soon become the first mile of concrete roadway in America.

At its peak, there were more than 500 miles of rail lines running through the Motor City and its suburbs, but trolleys last ran in 1956, a situation repeated in cities across the US as more and more Americans abandoned mass transit for personal transportation, a dramatic transformation fueled, in part, by the Eisenhower Administration's Interstate Highway Act that spurred the growth of the nation's suburbs.

Within the next year, however, a spade full of dirt will again be turned on Detroit's Woodward Avenue, this time to begin the process of laying a 3.3-mile stretch of trolley line. It's not much, but it is a sign of the times. Across the country, more and more cities are building or expanding their mass transit systems. Chicago just launched a new bike rental program, much like a wildly successful one in New York City. Meanwhile, there are a number of signs that Americans are rethinking their century-long love affair with the automobile.

Whether by choice or through financial reality, the number of American households without a car has doubled over the past two decades and is now approaching 10 percent. The impact of this trend could be significant for, "While the recession was in large part responsible for the latest spurt, the trend was already clear," says CNW's research chief Art Spinella. "A growing number of Americans felt they didn't need or want a personal car."

That's backed up by a number of other recent studies. The University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, for example, points out that the growth of the nation's motor vehicle fleet has come to a screeching halt, even with the post-recession revival of new car sales. The cars, trucks and crossovers Americans are buying this year are barely covering the vehicles heading for the scrapyard.

In fact, a separate study released by R.L. Polk this past week found that the age of the average vehicle on the road climbed from 11.2 years in 2012 to 11.4 years – even with the automotive market rebounding so fast that manufacturers are struggling to overcome capacity shortages. That's a record, and a big jump from the average 9.7 years Polk reported a decade ago.

Still skeptical? Consider these other tidbits:

• Millennials are taking longer to go through that rite of passage, getting a driver's license
• Once they do, they're less likely to own a car, though that trend also is becoming apparent among older Baby Boomers
• We're also, as a nation, putting on fewer miles when we do drive

We're also, as a nation, putting on fewer miles when we do drive
As noted, it's the newest generation of motorists – make that potential motorists – who seem to be most disinterested in getting behind the wheel. Why? There are a variety of factors. For one thing, they seem much more interested in technology, particularly devices such as smartphones that allow them to socialize by text or voice without actually having to leave home. An iPhone is a lot cheaper than a new car, another factor to consider in an era of high youth unemployment and staggering college debt.

"My kids have no interest at all in cars," says Ken Gross, one of the nation's most well-respected automotive journalists and industry historians – who also serves as a senior judge at such classic car shows as the annual Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

For many, autos have become little more than appliances, and the act of driving is no longer much fun. Should that be a surprise considering the endless traffic jams that snarl much of America?

While the focus is on Millennials, however, CNW research shows that a growing number of aging Baby Boomers – the generation that helped define America's love affair with the car – are also going carless. A growing number are moving into urban or retirement communities while others are opting for car-sharing services or simply reducing the number of vehicles in their household fleets.

Will the trend continue? That's a matter of intense debate. Certainly, the next few years, as the country continues to rebound from the Great Recession, will be telling. A critical measure will be how many from Gen-Y finally get a license and, perhaps, actually get a car. Another big question is how many of the nation's hip, new, young urbanites will move back to the suburbs or simply shell out for a parking lot once they start raising families.

"It's not because their preferences have changed. It's because of their needs. The income isn't there. The jobs aren't there. They grow older, that changes," contends General Motors Chief Economist Mustafa Mohatarem. During a speech at the annual Management Briefing Seminars sponsored by the Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Center for Automotive Research, Mohatarem argued that what we've seen in recent years is "not a permanent withdraw from the market, it's more of a delay."

They'll have a lot of catching up to do considering the percentage of Americans of driving age who actually were licensed fell to just 86 percent in 2011, a 30-year low. As recently as 1992, the figure stood at 90 percent. That led the US Public Interest Research Group to headline a recent report, "the driving boom is over."

While many would question this almost apocalyptic assumption, there seems little doubt that Americans no longer have the unbridled passion for the automobile that defined the nation in decades past. The auto industry should ignore this shift at its own peril.

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/08/13/o...y-automobiles/

mmarshall

Might be off-topic a little, but, as far as walking away from old cars, the Cubans usually don't have that option. Because of a number of different reasons (including the international trade-embargo that keeps a lot of newer and spare parts from coming into the country), they have to take old 1940s/1950s American cars and repair/restore them any they can, get them to run, and keep them running under quite primitive conditions. How they do so, sometimes not even being able to get decent replacement spark plugs, is a testimony to their ingenuity.

SteVTEC

Hmm, Obama admin demanding new cars become a whole lot more efficient via increasing CAFE requirements like crazy sends the price of new cars through the roof, while at the same time the economy still stinks and people can't even find jobs to afford a new car to begin with, gas prices are crazy, traffic stinks.

Oh and here in DC we have speed cameras, red light cameras, right TURN cameras that make sure you come to a complete and TOTAL stop (feel the jerk), and ahole cops that sit in your neighborhood and make sure you come to a total and complete stop once again (feel the jerk) who make no distinction between people who roll straight through at speed and those that do stop but just don't feel the jerk. Oh and did I mention traffic stinks? Plus a lot of new cars are terrible to drive. Numb steering, numb brakes, numb handling, etc.

You can't even get a proper BMW these days unless you're spending more than $50k, all thanks to CAFE. Makes me want to just say screwit and walk or ride my bike to work, too (I could!)

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

said it years ago... yeah there's lots of fancy cars out there, but most are rented, oh i mean leased, and most of those bought are by 1%ers.

the govt is hell bent on shrinking car usage and fossil fuel consumption by any means possible, but mostly through crippling regulation, laws, monitoring, and taxes. pretty soon we will be auto taxed for car use as our cars dutifully report back all 'use' to the govt. and i'm sure the nsa won't use that information.

as cities grow, more people will be forced to use cramped, filthy, and time-consuming public transportation, or use expensive, private, and at least as time-consuming private transportation.

there's less and less point to owning a fast car, as it will only result in tickets and higher insurance. might as well as well get something comfortable. pretty soon at least you'll be able to kick back as the car drives itself to your destination. car pooling will be even more practical then, so it's not all bad...

UDel

Sad but true, the price of new cars, especially so called "entry level" lux sedans/coupes with a decent 6 cylinder are ridiculous.

FrankReynoldsCPA

I love cars, but owning one right now while I'm in college is becoming a real financial PITA. My car is running hot lately, had my front end mangled by road debris and had to fix it, lost 2 speakers this month, and my A/C quit again on Friday. I can see why some don't want to own them.

But....my first words were probably about cars.....I love them and intend to drive one into the grave. I remember loving my dad's 67 Pontiac Firebird back before kindergarten...and loving every truck he's brought home. I remember the excitement and impatience of wanting to be 16 and get my license. I remember buying my first car, an 89 Firebird and putting the miles on quickly(Luckily I didn't have much else that I needed to spend money on, lol).

I have a roommate that is 19. He's been coddled by his parents and never has learned to function as an adult. He has a bike which he uses to get to the library to use a computer and back. Then he takes the bus to work(he just got his first job a couple weeks ago). This bus line is the only form of public transportation in our city, and he misses it a lot. It's a real PITA for me when he does. The rest of us are going to start putting our feet down and demanding he become more independent.

Lil4X

There have been a number of studies recently on the decline of the car culture among our Millennials and post-Millennials. Today, young people, say high-school age through college, are more intent on owning the latest smartphone than a new car. Given the economy, the low-cost option may be a good thing. Buy a new smart phone to meet every wave of technology, upgrade your iPad every six months, and invest in designer athletic shoes.

Who needs a car? As our population has gravitated to cities, most driving is slogging to and from work. In urban areas, commuting is slow and crowded, parking is not always safe - either that or it's expensive. Owning an old beater seems to be the way to go - who'd want to steal THAT? But public transit will get you to your destination, and doesn't nickle and dime you to death with taxes, insurance, maintenance, and repairs . . . leaving more disposable income for techie toys.

Besides, if demand for used cars falls far enough, there will be direct benefits for those few of us car crazies who are left: cheaper used cars and plenty of room on our country roads to enjoy them.

mmarshall

And, at least, private cars don't (usually) have street-bums, pickpockets, purse-snatchers, people hawking things or soliciting money, sardine-like SRO, fare-card machines that don't work half the time, or rude station-managers that care nothing for the riders they serve. Like it or not, even with today's traffic-jams and other commuting headaches, there ARE advantages to private cars.

Kira X

iTrader: (24)

It's true that younger people care more about having the newest cell phone over a car. My younger sister and most of her friends don't have drivers licenses or cars. For a lot of them money is an issue but the others don't seem to care all that much about driving. I'm a few years older than her friends but even some of the people in my age range (early 20's) don't have any interest in driving.

Getting your drivers license and your own car seemed like the biggest thing ever when I was younger. Now that I'm a little older it seems like a big hassle due to high gas prices, harassment from police, and the cost of insurance.

Kira X

iTrader: (24)

That's a big issue with public transportation in my area. On top of all that nonsense you still can't get around the entire city without it taking all day.

SecPole14

Bingo! Spot on, especially the part in bold. My current and only car, which serves DD duty in an increasingly growing and congested metro area is a 2012 Mustang GT 6-speed. What a machine. But totally useless and frustrating overkill for 99% of my driving. As much as I hate to dump a car barely 2.5 years of ownership, I'll be looking into getting into a 2014 GX460 or 4Runner this fall. I figure might as well get a comfortable, capable body-on-frame SUV that will last 15+ years while you still can....

mmarshall

In general, what will a body-on-frame SUV give you in a hard-pavement, congested urban area that a similiar unibody SUV won't...or do better? Of course, if you are going to tow heavy loads, do some hard-core off-roading, or simply want a vehicle that is easier to do frame-repair after an acccident, then, yes, a BOF may be worth looking at.

bagwell

I don't even like to drive anymore....even if someone paid for my gas and supplied the vehicle I wouldn't drive to work....its about 38 miles each way from my house to downtown....shtty drive...plus people just do not know how to drive anymore and if they do, they don't care about anyone but themselves (I ride my bike 1 mile to a Park & Ride and either vanpool or take the express bus.

mmarshall

See if your boss will let you Telecommute (or do some of the work at home on a computer, if the nature of your job allows it), and you may not even have to do that as much.

bagwell

old boss YES -- new boss HELL NO!