[COMBO PACK] Youth Auto Trends US

Youth and cars have always gone together in popular American culture. But things are beginning to change.

The first chart above shows that youth ownership of cars as measured by new-vehicle registrations has almost decreased by half in the last 11 years.

Before freaking out, let's keep in mind that this is 'new-vehicle' registration. We do not have numbers for the used-car market which has long been driven by youth as well.

The drop in new-vehicle registration is still significant for auto brands because it means they are now mostly selling to aged customers who are probably buying their 4th or final car, not their first car.

Another reason not to freak out, is that youth are still showing interest in cars at least online. So there is hope. Maybe its not immediate purchase they are looking for.

We also need to keep in mind the rise of car sharing services in the US which introduce youth to a range of auto brands. They might not be forgoing car ownership completely, but rather delaying the purchase till later in life mid 30s or even 50s.