Developments in transport and mobility are essential in keeping up with the rapidly changing needs of the global population, which prompted this new piece of research from Goodyear. “ThinkGoodMobility” surveyed more than 2.500 university students (aged 18-30), studying science, technology, engineering, art and design, and maths from 12 countries – also from Luxembourg - giving a voice to the very people who will be shaping the future of mobility in 2025. With the aim of moving this generation forward and helping them realize the advantages future mobility could present them, this survey provides comprehensive insights into where they see the biggest challenges as well as the according development needs in mobility.

Fuel-efficient vehicles as focus of sustainability efforts

Faced with an ever-expanding population and a resulting increase in road transport, when asked about sustainability efforts in the automotive industry and for transport systems in 2025, almost half (49%) of young people believe fuel-efficient vehicles should be one of the primary areas of focus.

This is significantly higher than the 27% who see investment in public transport systems as a high priority.  This indicates young Europeans expect improvements in overall sustainability of transport systems, but don’t want the freedom of choice and movement they enjoy now to be restricted in the future. In fact, 85% of respondents believe they will own a car in 10 years.

Other priorities for sustainability efforts over the next decade include the development of smart technology for efficient vehicles (24.1%), smart traffic management by vehicles (17.1%),  and eco-friendly and adaptive tires (18.1%).

These are all contributing factors to improving vehicle efficiency going forward. When asked specifically about tires, the second most popular feature the respondents like to have is extreme fuel efficiency (32.9%).

“Young people across Europe don’t want future generations to look back on them as the generation that stood still,” said Jean-Pierre Jeusette, general director at the Goodyear Innovation Center in Luxembourg. “Environmental pressures will inevitably build up as we approach 2025, and young people will look to the automotive and tire industry to lead the way in looking for solutions to the emission challenge. At Goodyear, we continuously invest to meet customer and consumer requirements now and in the future, which is why we invited this generation to share their vision for sustainable mobility in 2025. Alongside the automotive industry, the impetus towards tire manufacturers is to offer fuel-efficient tires that lower CO2 emissions and saving the consumer money.” 

Call for regulation and incentives to support drive for fuel efficiency

Sustainability and the desire to improve fuel efficiency in vehicles over the next ten years to support this agenda is so crucial to Millennials that they have even expressed the desire to see regulation in place that could support their vision for this future. When asked what regulations were crucial for transportation for 2025, the most popular response was CO2 emission standards (44.6%), ahead of incentives for public transport use (34.2%). 35.7% also saw incentives for fuel efficient vehicles as crucial, while fuel standards were also a fairly popular choice (27.9%).

“Young people have a greater awareness of the environmental impact of their choices, and as such, demand early action to deliver products and services that will ensure a move towards sustainable future mobility”, added Mr Jeusette. “While they look to the wider industry for leadership, they are also acutely aware of the need for government intervention in the form of incentives and regulation. This will enable swifter progress and take up of more fuel efficient cars and tires. For example, recent European tire label regulation has prompted a step change in the industry fostering even greater innovation and improved technology in tires.”