Ford Trends – Climate Change and Post Covid Consumer Views

Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Ford Trends – Climate Change and Post Covid Consumer Views.

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Jen Brace, Trends and Futuring Manager at Ford Motor (NYSE: F) yesterday noted several trends in global research that show post-pandemic shifts in consumer sentiment and how people are reacting to technology by rewriting the rules of living, working, buying, and traveling. The self-professed “data nerd” shared the latest Ford consumer research with the Society of Automotive Analysts via Zoom.

“Think of this as the 10,000 foot view of what we see happening around the world. We purposely keep it at a very high level because we’re trying to understand consumer sentiment around the world. So we’re really trying to understand what’s happening in some critical categories that we refer to as the steep categories that stands for social, technological, economic. environmental and political,” said Brace. Brace is clearly STEEPed (Social, Technological, Economic, Environmental, Political) in consumer attitudes.

“What we are trying to do here is understand how consumers are feeling about the world around them. How they are reacting to change and how we might be able to anticipate shifts that we see going forward. So we’re really trying to understand at a very high level what do we see happening in terms of consumer sentiment, so that we can better understand where our customers might be at and how that might be changing as we move forward,” Brace said.

About the Ford Trends Survey

  • It’s sent to 16 different countries.
  • Ford receives ~1000 respondents in each country.
  • This is a general population survey. It’s sent to a wide array of different demographics and generational cohorts.
  • It is not focused on automotive owners. It is not focused on Ford owners. It is not focused on Ford employees. It has none of that captured within it.
  • The respondents were all adults over the age of 18.

Following are some interesting observations in AutoInformed’s view.

Ford 2024 Global Trends Report Says

There’s a global consensus on the urgency of addressing climate change, with many claiming to be modifying their personal habits to be more environmentally friendly. But people want a seamless integration of sustainable solutions into their everyday routines. They seek simplicity where products, services, and experiences allow them to make positive contributions to the environment without disrupting their lifestyle. While the future of transportation is moving towards electricity, some are hesitant to adopt electric vehicles (EVs) over concerns about insufficient infrastructure making charging a challenge. It will be up to companies to make sustainability an easy, convenient choice if consumers are expected to embrace it.

“Vast majorities across the globe say it’s important to actively fight climate change today.” The global average is 84%. The lowest countries are the US and Australia at 75%.

Report

When asked if all-electric vehicles are the future. Among all adults, the US at 59% lagged the global average of 69%. France was lowest at 47%.? Thailand highest at 84%.

When asked if people should drive EVs to fight climate change. The global average was 47%. In the US it was 38%. Germany 28%. France 26%. In the world’s largest auto market – China – it was 62%!

When asked if they worry about not having enough infrastructure to support EVs. Almost 75% of all adults said yes. Baby Boomers were slightly more worried.

When asked “I’ll only embrace sustainable initiatives if the inconvenience to me is small or nonexistent.” The global average was 64%!

 

 

About Ken Zino

Ken Zino, publisher (kzhw@aol.com), is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. Zino is at home on test tracks, knows his way around U.S. Congressional hearing rooms, auto company headquarters, plant floors, as well as industry research and development labs where the real mobility work is done. He can quote from court decisions, refer to instrumented road tests, analyze financial results, and profile executive personalities and corporate cultures. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
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