Nissan commissioned Economist Impact on a survey that targets the future mobility choices of young urban dwellers. The findings, based on responses from 3,750 participants across 15 global cities, reveal younger generations’ preference for electric vehicles, reinforcing Nissan’s ongoing efforts in electrification and commitment to sustainable solutions to meet evolving needs.

Key respondent findings include:

• The majority (57%) of young city residents are willing to change their travel habits to reduce carbon footprint; those in emerging cities see environmental concerns an urgency for their mobility choices.

• Electric vehicles (EVs) emerge as the preferred mode of mobility; EV ownership among respondents is expected to climb from 23% today to more than 35% in the next decade.

• Enthusiasm is strongest in emerging cities, with 44% envisioning driving EVs in the next five years, compared to 31% in developed cities; the realities of pollution pushing them to consider sustainability.

• Younger urbanites reveal strong interest in innovations such as energy storage, alternative fuels and vehicle to everything (V-to-X), with roughly half (more than 40%) indicating that these technologies will influence their mobility choices.

This research explores how the younger generations envision the future of mobility—an essential perspective, as their choices will directly shape the evolving mobility landscape. Our findings reveal that for sustainable mobility to succeed, cities need to balance environmental goals with real commuter priorities like affordability, convenience and inclusivity. Achieving this requires flexible, multimodal solutions that seamlessly integrate public transit, electric vehicles, shared mobility and active transport into a connected, accessible network for all residents with diverse needs.

—Ritu Bhandari, Asia-Pacific Sustainability lead at Economist Impact

Optimism remains high among survey respondents with more than one-third expecting to use a personally owned electric vehicle within a decade, up 23% from today. For the ten-year outlook, EV ownership preference surged by more than 50%. Enthusiasm is strongest in emerging cities with 44% envisioning driving EVs in the next five years, compared to 31% in developed cities.

Growing environmental concerns such as pollution and congestion are spurring greater interest in EVs in cities such as Shanghai, Sao Paulo, and Mexico City. Factors that shape EV adoption highly depend on battery performance, charging infrastructure and costs. Respondents in emerging cities are more concerned about EV batteries while those in developed cities focus on EV costs, with prices still higher than traditional combustion-engine vehicles.

More than 40% of survey respondents are excited about new EV technologies and recognized their potential to influence everyday life. Half of the respondents are aware that EVs can both power external devices as well as store excess renewable energy, as EVs evolve from being a transport device into a potential tool for energy management. Respondents in emerging cities displayed more enthusiasm for the application of EVs beyond mobility, such as using, sharing and transporting electricity during emergencies.