Jerry, a car-ownership app released its 2022 State of the American Driver Report this week, reporting on car-related trends in the United States as well as the country’s driving culture and consumer attitudes towards the adoption of new automotive technology.
Despite the volatility in the automotive market due to the pandemic and inflation, the 2022 State of the American Driver Report, which is based on a national survey of American drivers aged 16-75 combined with Jerry business data, found little evidence of a decline in car demand or in the cost of driving.
In fact, “the survey found 80% of American drivers consider a car essential to conducting daily or weekly activities.” However, the survey did reveal that drivers are spending less time on the road, especially due to the increasing costs of gas.
Just one in four American drivers plan to shop for a vehicle in 2022. However, more Americans said they expect to sell their vehicle in 2022 than in the year prior, with digital platforms like Autotrader and Facebook Marketplace being the most common way for consumers to sell a used vehicle. In fact, “women are three times as likely to sell their vehicle on Facebook Marketplace.” Also of interest is that Baby Boomers are most likely to go to a dealership to trade-in their vehicle.
Despite the industry shift to electric vehicles, “a third of Americans surveyed never expect to drive an EV in their lifetime, while half expect to within 10 years.” The survey dug into the motivation behind EV use and found that “EV shoppers are motivated most by saving money on gas.”
Lakshmi Iyengar, a data scientist for Jerry, added that “despite significant EV interest due to expected cost savings, consumers likely won’t find immediate cost reductions when buying an EV. That may come over the next 10 years as technology and charging infrastructure mature.” Those surveyed showed some hesitation towards autonomous vehicles as well, with “40% of drivers never expecting to use an autonomous vehicle.”
The report also “confirmed that pandemic-era effects on cost and inventory continue to impact car buying and selling, driving frequency, and the necessity of driving amongst Americans,” said Iyengar, who added that “Americans experienced sticker shock when shopping for new and used cars in 2021, and no relief is in sight this year.”
