The coronavirus pandemic has reversed a trend in which young people’s interest in owning a car has weakened, a new survey released on Friday claims.
According to the Car Barometer 2021 survey, people under the age of 36 are likely to have increased their cars and reduced their use of public transport.
About a quarter of young Finns said they had increased their car use last year, when it was 16 per cent of the total population.
Nearly half of those interviewed in Finland said that the Covid-19 pandemic did not affect their travel habits, while 29 per cent said it had led to a reduction in the use of public transport.
"The coronavirus has broken the trend of young people preferring to travel by public transport or, if necessary, by renting a car," said Altti Kuuri Danske Bank, which has been commissioning an annual survey since 2013.
"The popularity of passenger cars fell sharply until 2019, when just over half of young people saw them driving their own car after five years, up from 82 per cent in 2015. Now 60 per cent of young people want to get their own car after five years," The course said.
Alternative power supplies on the rise
While the idea of a new generation of petrol heads may raise concerns about the environmental impact of cars, the new study also showed that people in Finland were more open to buying hybrid, electric or biogas vehicles than ever before.
Nearly half of those considering buying a car considered buying an electric, hybrid or biogas-powered car. A year ago, the figure was 39 percent. In 2015, it was only 15 percent.
"Media attention, technological advances and environmental awareness have clearly increased interest. Lower fuel costs have overtaken lower emissions, which is the main reason to buy an alternative car," The course said.
However, most of those interviewed said that the high cost of alternatives to hybrids, electric cars and other internal combustion vehicles prevents them from being replaced.
The most important concern for the residents of northern Finland was the range of such vehicles compared to petrol or diesel equipment.
26.9: Fixed title to include hybrids.
Source: The Nordic Page