5. Car Pride
• The attribution of:
• Two facets of pride: social status and
personal image
• To two dimensions of car consumption:
ownership and use
• Survey measure; 12 statements each
measured on 7-point Likert scale
7. implications
• Technology alone will not reinvent the car at
the scale or pace necessary to combat climate
change
• Sustainable transportation is in a marketing
war with the car; and it is losing
• Cars are an aspirational good, especially in
countries with rapidly expanding economies
and high expected motorization growth
• Multiple entry points to break the cycle
before it becomes an established paradigm
Editor's Notes
Use of single-occupancy, internal combustion engine vehicles is the greatest contributor to negative impacts of urban mobility systems, including: congestion, road safety, air pollution, and social exclusion
To be sustainable, future urban mobility systems must “reinvent the car”
Use of single-occupancy, internal combustion engine vehicles is the greatest contributor to negative impacts of urban mobility systems, including: congestion, road safety, air pollution, and social exclusion
To be sustainable, future urban mobility systems must “reinvent the car”
Technology alone will not bring about the reinvention of “the car” at the scale or pace necessary to accomplish sustainable urban mobility goals
We need attitude/behavior shift among consumers and that is shaped by policy
My research goal: to inform attitude/behavior shift by identifying key barriers to and drivers of consumer adoption of travel options
Car pride strongly predicts car ownership, which in turn predicts car use
In the reverse direction, car use strongly reinforces car pride
These relations create a feedback loop among car pride, car ownership, and car use
“Others would see me as more successful if owned a better or more cars”
“I gain respect from my peers because I drive a car”
“I have achieved in life and therefore I deserve to own a good car”
“Driving meets my self esteem or personal image”
Across countries, we find that developing countries—with less mature vehicle markets, but greater road/vehicle use—report higher values of country car pride after controlling for the types of people living in different countries
Country car pride is higher in countries with less mature personal vehicle markets:
Lower current personal vehicle ownership levels (in terms of car stock per 1000 people), but
Higher growth in personal vehicle ownership
Target the attitude: de-market the car; brand sustainable alternatives
Target behavior:
Car ownership: Vehicle taxes, car ownership restrictions; EV subsidies (for the type of vehicle used!)
Car use: Road/congestion pricing, Fuel taxes, Parking fees and controls, Other car use restrictions based on license plate, vehicle type, or time of day
Improve alternatives, including: public transit service and information systems, pedestrian / cycling facilities, etc.