Americans Want to Own Cars, Especially During a Pandemic

Dealers have long defended the idea of personal car ownership. Recent surveys show that commuters are choosing cars over public transportation  to avoid exposure to the coronavirus. Lissette Gole, Google’s head of Automotive Retail, said people are finding comfort in car ownership during COVID-19. Google data showed:

• Public transportation has seen a 28% drop;
• Ridesharing has seen a 26% drop;
• 24% of people have stopped using public transportation entirely; and
• 800,000 people are currently in the market for a new vehicle.

See NADA’s Accelerating Auto Trends in the Time of COVID-19 for more details about emerging consumer trends.