Tracking Trends in the Automotive and Mobility Industry

Updated: June 15, 2022 | By Lisa Whalen

The automotive industry is steering through the challenge of replenishing supply while also tailoring future transportation to consumer desires and climate change demands. And mobility providers — from tech companies to vehicle charging startups — are becoming increasingly relevant stakeholders amid advances toward automation and electrification. Automotive and mobility brand leaders must stay informed on consumers’ changing attitudes and behaviors around vehicle ownership, usage and purchase intent, as well as their sentiments about the future of electric and autonomous vehicles.

Morning Consult is tracking consumer behavior and sentiment around automotive industry trends through a monthly survey of U.S. adults. We’ll be updating this page with new and essential data and analysis every month. Sign up for alerts below.

The methodology for the monthly tracker is included at the bottom of this page.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

New vehicle availability fell back in June as protracted supply chain woes and skyrocketing prices continued to restrict supply and selection: 12% of consumers reported difficulty finding new vehicles, and inflation woes are causing consumers to favor cheaper vehicles. Pain at the pump continues to weigh heavily on consumers as gas prices hit record highs. A whopping 61% of consumers said the price of gasoline will be a factor in their next vehicle purchase, up from 52% in May.

There has been a slight uptick in interest in electric vehicles, particularly among millennials. In June, 28% of this demographic expressed interest in purchasing an EV in the next five years, compared with 24% in May. Nevertheless, inflation woes have dented the appeal of EVs, with 61% of those not interested in purchasing one citing price as a factor, up from 51% at the beginning of the year.

Inflation pressures are hitting the vehicle servicing sector, too: 18% of adults reported paying more than expected to service their vehicle last month, compared with 16% who said the same in May. The gap in expectations in time required for service also creeped up, with 15% of adults who had their vehicle serviced last month reporting that it took longer than they had expected, versus 13% in May.

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Consumer Trends in the Automotive Industry

Vehicle Availability

Share of respondents who said they had trouble finding the following items in the past month

Vehicle Financing

Respondents were asked how they paid for their primary vehicle

Online Vehicle Buying Trends

Share of respondents who plan to purchase a vehicle in the next three years who said they are "very interested" in purchasing a vehicle entirely online

Impact of Rising Gas Prices on Vehicle Buying

Share of respondents who plan to purchase a vehicle in the next three years who said the following would be a major factor in their purchase:

Vehicle Use: Commuting

Shares of commuters who used a household vehicle to commute to work in the last month

Vehicle Use: Road Trips

Shares of vehicle owners who said they used a household vehicle for a road trip in the past month

Trends in Automotive Electrification

Popularity of Electric Vehicles

Shares of respondents who said they are "very interested" in purchasing an electric vehicle in the next five years

Consumer Hesitation Toward EVs

Share of consumers not interested in EVs who said each of the following was a major reason why they wouldn’t purchase one:

Vehicle Servicing Trends

Gaps in Expectations of Vehicle Servicing Prices

Consumers who had their vehicle serviced in the past month were asked how reality compared with their expectations of the price to service their vehicle

Gaps in Expectations of Vehicle Servicing Time

Consumers who had their vehicle serviced in the past month were asked how reality compared with their expectations of the time to service their vehicle

Trends in Autonomous Vehicles

Autonomous Vehicle Interest

Shares of respondents who said they are "very interested" in purchasing an autonomous vehicle in the next 10 years

This question was not asked in the January 2022 survey

Trust in Autonomous Vehicles

Shares of respondents who said they trust autonomous vehicles "a lot"

Autonomous Vehicle Safety

Respondents were asked how safe they think autonomous vehicles are compared with traditional vehicles

This question was not asked in the January 2022 survey

Trends in Public Transportation

Public Transportation Usage

Respondents were asked how their use of public transportation had changed in the last month

Public Transportation Mode Frequency

Shares of respondents who used the following forms of public transportation in the past month:

ABOUT

Data Collection

The Morning Consult Automotive and Mobility Monthly Trend Tracker relies on Morning Consult’s proprietary survey research capabilities. The interviews are conducted online, and the data are weighted to approximate a representative sample of U.S. adults based on gender, educational attainment, age, race and region. Results from the full survey have a monthly sample size of 2,200 U.S. adults and an unweighted margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.

About Morning Consult

Morning Consult is a global decision intelligence company changing how modern leaders make smarter, faster, better decisions. The company pairs its proprietary high-frequency data with applied artificial intelligence to better inform decisions on what people think and how they will act. Learn more at morningconsult.com

About the Author

Lisa Whalen is the lead automotive and mobility analyst at global intelligence company Morning Consult. Her research and insights help automotive, mobility and transportation businesses make better decisions and shape the industry going forward.

Email press@morningconsult.com to speak with a member of the Morning Consult team.

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