ABB E-Mobility’s survey says children are leading the electric vehicle future
A new global survey from ABB E-mobility says children are already driving the EV revolution, despite not yet being able to get behind the wheel themselves.
Conducted by world leader in EV charging solutions, ABB E-mobility, the survey reveals that children not only educate their parents on environmental issues and admonish them for un-eco-friendly behaviour, but also contribute to discussions around major purchases such as electric vehicles.
The study comprised of 2,500 parents (with children aged 8-16) and 2,500 children (aged 8-16) and involved participants from ABB E-mobility’s 10 largest markets in Canada, China, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and USA.
Its key findings demonstrate the crucial role that the next generation has to play in helping reduce emissions and enable a more sustainable future.
“On World EV Day, it is encouraging to see the results of our global study reveal the excitement and determination of young people, as well as the increasing dialogue and action across generations, to move toward a low-carbon future,” ABB E-mobility CEO Frank Muehlon says.
“It is also clear, however, that many people still do not feel empowered to take the climate-conscious steps they are clearly ready for. It is our hope that those in positions of power will work together to quickly implement electrification policies which enable a cleaner, greener society, just as we have committed to doing with our ABB Sustainability Strategy 2030.”
With nearly eight out of 10 parents and three-quarters of children considering the current global environmental situation to be bad, the survey revealed a good deal of intergenerational interaction over the causes of climate change and the steps towards mitigating it.
To that end, almost half of children have told their parents to be more environmentally friendly, while 58 per cent of parents said that they have been educated by their children on environmental issues.
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With 80 per cent of children responding that they believe they have the ability to influence their parents’ purchasing decisions over big ticket items like changing the family car, it is perhaps unsurprising that 79 per cent of parents said they would switch to an electric or hybrid model if they were to buy a new car in the next three years.
With the next generation already excited about the journey to electrification, and their parents increasingly coming on board, it is vital that older generations in positions of influence catch up and take the bold decisions needed to support change now.
For its part, ABB has committed to transitioning its entire global fleet of more than 10,000 vehicles to EVs by the end of the decade as part of its 2030 Sustainability Strategy.
In the past year alone, the number of charging stations installed at ABB sites increased by almost 100 per cent, from 545 to 1,082. These are split globally across 146 locations in 27 countries. Additionally, in 2021, EVs or plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) accounted for 44 per cent of ABB’s global new vehicle orders.