Making cars uncool: Is sustainability the reason why Gen Z do not drive?

When compared to the 90s and the 00s, young driver numbers have fallen drastically in recent years. Gen Z people are driving less in countries where car culture has always been part of everyone’s lives. For example, in the US, licensing rates for 16- and 17-year-olds have dropped, while the UK showed the same pattern when comparing Gen Zers to Millennials. This is not a Western pattern or a feature that is specific to particular nations. In reality, young people driving less is an international pattern and a worldwide characteristic of Gen Z. 

This pattern has many variables behind it; for it to occur worldwide goes against the strong car-centric world Gen Zers live in. Our cities are built for cars, the automotive industry moves capital, our culture is influenced by cars, and our transport systems prioritise individual transportation. On the other hand, young people are managing to reduce driving for a range of reasons. This article will explore whether sustainability is one of the factors shaping this international pattern. 

Gen Z has been considered, until recently, the most sustainability-aware generation. It is easy to believe that this move away from driving is a direct result of their valuing environmental sustainability. Indeed, many younger people express strong environmental concerns and say they might quit driving to “save the planet”. However, sustainability is only offered as a justification when the topic of the environment is introduced, it is rarely the primary, spontaneous reason for their transportation choices. In that way, younger people often express pro-environmental values, but when asked why they don’t learn to drive or own cars, other reasons (cost, urban living, alternative forms of transport) commonly top the list. Environmental motives are present, but are usually secondary in driving less. 

Cars have become uncool, not as a move towards sustainability but as an economic and cultural one. Despite not being the main reason, the outcome of a reduction in driving is still a more sustainable society. As a result, in our cities, this move can potentially accelerate sustainable transport if younger cohorts stick with lower car use. We can then understand this behaviour as sustainable: declining car-ownership, driving and licence-holding among young people contribute to lower per-capita transport emissions across society. Even though sustainability is not the main reason for less car use, it is an effect of Gen Zers' actions, which opens a great opportunity for building up a sustainable discourse and base. Driving less is associated with a more sustainable lifestyle, with Gen Zers more likely to adopt other sustainable choices in their routine. This creates the possibility of a mass base of environmentally conscious people. Their behaviour produces a silent sustainability dividend. This suggests that declining car-dependence among young people can contribute meaningfully to decarbonisation and cleaner, healthier cities, regardless of motive.

The effects of this decline also impact other areas of everyday life. For instance, when analysing the impacts of the automotive industry in car-centric societies, the role of cars in shaping the way we consume is clear. Changing cars every year, having the newest model and the best pieces on the market are not a priority for Gen Z. As a result, the way Gen Z consumes more broadly is impacted, reflecting the smaller number of drivers. Anti-consumerism among young people shows that many are receptive to lower-consumption lifestyles. Reducing material consumption, owning fewer goods, and sharing rather than owning are Gen Z sustainable behaviours that go against car culture and, despite rarely being motivated by sustainability, have a very sustainable outcome. Over time, a generation that grows up commuting, travelling, and socialising without regular car use may result in stronger political support for low-emission transport policies. Green public transit investment, walkable city planning, and emissions regulation may become a priority for Gen Zers since these policies align with their everyday experience and values. 

To conclude, cars becoming uncool for Gen Z is not a direct effect of sustainability behaviour. Despite being a more sustainability-oriented generation, the main reasons behind this decrease in the number of younger drivers are economic and cultural. Sustainable outcomes are, however, a consequence. As a result, Gen Zers are living a more sustainable life without cars, thereby creating a possible political base for a greener future. 

By Luca Amado