Featured Tesla Tops Luxury Sedan Sales

Yes, that's about the age range I was thinking of. Our perspectives of what defines a 'youngin' tends to change as we get older.

Plus, as long as the population is rising, there can be more people buying cars, AND more people not bothering with a driver's licence. We can both be right.

 

heh. I know a college professor that is in her 40S that says kids for even grad students. It took me awhile to figure out her use of kids and mine were totally different.

Its more of an economic thing. These 16-19 year olds aren't driving because they have better use of their money from part time jobs. The rich kids that were getting a new car from mommy and daddy still are, so it doesn't affect new car sales. Economics are saying though that a higher percentage of 18-35 are buying used not new cars. We need to get a few more years out of this recession to see if that is true, or if its simply a recession effect. Toyota doesn't do well under 45, but plug-in cars may.

 

hard to get any real data on age groups and car ownership. anecdotally, i see less and less among my children's peers. there can be many things that influence rising car sales.

 

I wasn't trying to be anecdotal. We do have statistics that more people 16-19 are not getting drivers licenses. Some have postulated when these young adults get jobs they will continue not driving. Statistics say that is wrong, but that next group 20-35 are more likely to buy a used instead of a new car, versus 30 years ago. Lots of possible explanations for this. In certain cities parking is so expensive that people often don't drive, but that is a different stat, and is not a large portion of US population.

The change is slowly showing up in crash data

Fatality Facts

 

my kids and their peers are late 20's to mid 30's. i would rather not be anecdotal, but i can't ignore what's right in front of me, and i don't know where to find hard data.
that being said, i do notice that young immigrant groups in our city's seem to have more of the old fashioned american love affair with automobile's than their american born peers.

 

Its a little moldy, but 2010 data, which has partially reversed.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/30/sunday-review/the-end-of-car-culture.html

The anectdotal stuff said lots were not driving, but how many is it really.
In the 16 yo group its true a drop from 46% to 29% from 1983-2010, but in that 25-29 96% to 87%. That isn't most young people, its a drop of 9%, not very large, and 30-34 dropped from 97%-90%. In the mean time with the recession slowly being gone, vmt are up again, and so are fatalities, just not that bad. 2010 we were deep in the non driving, so those numbers have increased for that 25-34 year old group. Boston, NY, Chicago, Washington DC are cities where high parking rates and decent public transportation allow people not to drive, but over 90% of those above 30 and under 70 drive.

The big change - while 9% fewer in the 25-29 range (those that would have had a car but are getting by without) Those 65-69 yo are driving longer from 79% now up 13% to 92%. In many ways that could be thought of as good, but I'm fearful of the next group, the old boomers in the 70 range jumped from 55%-80%. My gradfather drove way past the time he should have stopped. My mom still has good vision and reflexes, but I fear she is dangerous. Maybe we need some better safety systems as the over 70, a big risk group on fatalities increases even as the 16-20 decrease on the road. Oh and lower gas prices mean that mpg gains of new cars have plataued as people are buying a thirstier mix. Anyway 2015 figures help separate recession from real trend, and this trend of fewer cars and vmt did not materialize, but yes we have dropped from 97% to 90% in that 30-34 demographic. Maybe we will get down to 85%. Its really the 16-19 yo that can't afford to drive, and don't want to work harder to put up with the hassle. Let's face it while you are in school the need to drive is not that large, and there are things to do close to home, like watch reality tv, and get pissed about how you will ever pay off that student loan debt.

Anyway used cars became more of the market but the car market has returned. The trend reversed. I'd be suprised if it wasn't so. My city is focused on "smart" growth, pretending that growth in the city will mean less cars. What has happened traffic has gotten worse, musicans and artists have left as its less affordable, and those living in the city drive. Developers made lots of money. Taxes went up instead of down as promised, but everone knew the promises were false.

 

you're probably right.

 

The Tesla at the Chevy dealer is sold. That didn't take too long.

 

Maybe next time, Bob. Plenty of TDIs for sale, though.