Young people around the world are leading an unprecedented change in the way we get around in our daily lives. Options like the micromobilityhe transport public or the preference for vehicles electrical or hybrids These are some of the examples that new generations choose and that are changing the traditional way of getting around.
Now, Is this change a necessity due to not having the necessary resources, as is already the case with all those who share a flat/house because they cannot afford housing; Or are they convictions of a more ‘respectful’ mobility with the environment?
The data returned by Alphabet show the different ways in which young people are leading the most sustainable mobility alternatives in our country. In this sense, it is notable how 53% of young people between 18 and 30 years old believe that electric vehicles are the ideal solution for mobility within cities. Besides, 57% of young people between 18 and 30 years old share or have shared car usually in 2024, something that shows that car sharing can become one of the most used options in the short term in large cities to deal with traffic or parking problems within them.
Micromobility is now a reality
On the other hand, Micromobility is consolidated as a real alternative to traditional trips in Spanish cities, especially among young people. The Alphabet study has revealed that the use of electric scooters has increased to 15%, 8 percentage points more than in the last year, while the use of electric bikes has grown to reach 12%, 6 percentage points more than last year. This boom is particularly notable among young people between 18 and 30 years old, where 46% have already adopted micromobility as a means of transportation. He high cost of obtaining a driving license, Added to the increase in the price of vehicles, including used ones, as well as their maintenance costs, fewer and fewer young people are interested in owning a vehicle.
For this reason, it is necessary for new mobility models and traditional ones to overcome their historical coexistence problems. Although the perception of lack of adaptation of cities to micromobility is reduced year after year, Almost 1 in 2 citizens (48%) consider that there is still much to do.
In this context, The creation of specific infrastructures is emerging as a key solution. A 90% of those surveyed support the implementation of exclusive lanes for bicycles and scooters, while 78% welcome the prohibition of driving on certain roads.
The electric car
The use of electric cars is being consolidated little by little (very little by little) in Spaindriven by growing demand among young people and their greater environmental awareness, although still at a lower rate than in other European countries. In 2024, 19% of Spaniards already use this type of vehicle for their trips, an increase of 12 percentage points compared to the previous year. This trend is accentuated in cities like Madridwhere The figure rises to 28%, thanks, especially, to the wide range of carsharing, which are characterized by being electric fleets, which increases this adoption compared to other cities that lack these services. That is to say, the electric car increases, but not by buying one, but by renting it by the hour.
The perception of the electric car as a solution to urban mobility problems is also gaining followers among Spaniards, with 43% of Spaniards agreeing with this idea (+25 pp compared to 2023), increasing to 53% among young people (10 percentage points more than the national average). On the contrary, Those over 61 years of age are more reluctant (35%).
This trend is reflected in purchase intention, with a 36% of Spaniards (+14 pp compared to 2023) that You are considering purchasing an electric vehicle in the future. Among young people the figure rises to 42% (6 percentage points more than the average).
The Willingness to pay a higher price for an electric model compared to a traditional combustion model also increases, reaching 58% among Spaniards, with young people leading this preference, reaching up to 79% among the age group between 18 and 30 years who would pay more for electric models (an increase of 25 pp compared to last year).
Car sharing, increasingly popular
57% of young people between 18 and 30 years old share or have shared a car regularly in 2024, a figure that experiences a notable increase compared to the 39% registered in 2023 (+18 pp). Economic savings continue to be the main motivation to share a car (60%), followed by convenience (30%) and ecological awareness (10%). In most cases (66%), Spaniards share a vehicle with people they know, mainly co-workers.