Global Youth Embrace Electric Vehicles, Survey Shows
YOKOHAMA, Japan – A recent survey commissioned by Nissan and conducted by Economist Impact reveals a significant trend: young urban residents globally are increasingly favoring electric vehicles (EVs) as their preferred mode of transportation. The findings, based on responses from 3,750 participants across 15 major cities, underscore Nissan’s ongoing commitment to electrification and sustainable mobility solutions.
The Nissan Ariya, an example of the company’s commitment to electric vehicles.
The survey highlights key findings:
- A majority (57%) of young city residents are willing to alter their travel habits to lessen their carbon footprint, with those in emerging cities expressing the most urgent environmental concerns.
- EVs have emerged as the preferred mobility approach, as ownership is expected to jump from 23% currently to over 35% within the next decade.
- Enthusiasm is strongest in emerging cities, with 44% anticipating driving EVs in the next five years, compared to 31% in developed cities. The realities of pollution are pushing them to consider sustainability.
- Young urbanites show strong interest in innovations like energy storage, alternative fuels, and vehicle-to-everything (V-to-X) technology, with over 40% indicating these technologies will influence their future mobility choices.
“This research explores how the younger generations envision the future of mobility—an essential perspective, as their choices will directly shape the evolving mobility landscape,” said Ritu Bhandari, Asia-Pacific Sustainability lead at Economist Impact. “Our findings reveal that for sustainable mobility to succeed, cities need to balance environmental goals with real commuter priorities like affordability, convenience and inclusivity. Achieving this requires flexible, multimodal solutions that seamlessly integrate public transit, electric vehicles, shared mobility and active transport into a connected, accessible network for all residents with diverse needs.”
Lavanya Wadgaonkar, Nissan’s corporate vice president of Global Communications, stated, “We believe in making mobility electrified and sustainable—it is a defining expectation shaping the future of transportation. This survey reaffirms the growing demand for electrification and the need to create more awareness, but long-term success hinges on making EV adoption seamless, practical, and cost-effective. At Nissan, we leverage data-driven research and innovation to bridge gaps, ensuring that electrification is not just an option, but a core component of the mobility landscape.”
The survey emphasizes the significant shift towards EV ownership. More than one-third of respondents expect to use a personally owned EV within a decade, a substantial increase from the current 23%. For the ten-year outlook, the preference for EV ownership has surged by over 50%. This enthusiasm is particularly strong in emerging cities, where 44% envision driving EVs in the next five years, compared to 31% in developed cities. Concerns about environmental issues, such as pollution and traffic congestion, are driving interest in EVs in cities like Shanghai, Sao Paulo, and Mexico City.
Factors influencing EV adoption are highly dependent on battery performance, charging infrastructure, and costs. Respondents in emerging cities are more concerned about battery technology, while those in developed cities focus on EV costs, which remain higher than those of traditional combustion-engine vehicles.
Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology is a key component of Nissan’s EV strategy.
Future interest in EVs extends beyond mobility. More than 40% of survey respondents are excited about new EV technologies and recognize their potential to impact their daily lives. Half the respondents are aware that EVs can power external devices and store excess renewable energy, transforming EVs into a potential tool for energy management.
The survey findings align with Nissan’s commitment to promoting cleaner, safer, and more inclusive mobility. Nissan continues to accelerate its electrification strategy by making EVs more accessible and cost-effective, improving charging infrastructure, enhancing battery technology, and developing more cost-effective EV solutions. By integrating smart charging solutions, battery energy storage, and V2X solutions, Nissan aims to create a more efficient EV energy ecosystem.
Nissan is providing practical solutions to the world’s transportation and energy needs and is focused on investing in solutions for the future to shape a more sustainable and resilient transportation future.
*The Economist Impact and Nissan surveyed 3,750 urban residents aged 18–30 years old in 15 cities across five continents to discover the attitudes of the younger generation on the future of sustainable urban mobility.
*The survey sample was evenly split between Bangkok, Copenhagen, London, Los Angeles, Manila, Melbourne, Mexico City, New Delhi, New York, Paris, Riyadh, São Paulo, Shanghai, Tokyo, and Toronto.
