Have we hit 'peak car'?

[DiscoMick]

Is it the end of the road for Australia's love affair with the car? - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-11-21/is-it-the-end-of-the-road-for-australias-love/5909544)

Have we hit 'peak car'?
With so many young people more interested in their smartphones than in cars, with inner city people deciding they don't need a car of their own, with a third of the workforce not being able to get fulltime jobs but instead being forced into casual employment meaning they don't have the money, security and ability to get loans, and with people deciding to travel, is the attraction of the car fading?
Apparently this trend is also happening overseas. Sales of new cars per head of population have peaked and are falling. With a car for every two Australians, do we just not need any more cars?
Interesting trends...

[trog]

Well not interested in the smart phone but the ( lack of ) Is putting us into the thought that one vehicle will go, and the suburban house. easier to be in town within walking distance of public transport

[JDNSW]

I think that there are an increasing number of people living in or near the inner city of Sydney and Melbourne who find that they do not need a car, and many of them look to never needing one. However, it is easy to forget that even though this number is increasing, it still only represents a tiny proportion of Australians, and may not even be increasing as fast as the population overall is growing.

For the majority of Australians to become free of the need for a car, either the population distribution, the infrastructure distribution, or public transport, or all three, need to be radically different to what it is today. None of these changes are likely to happen in the next generation.

On the other hand, the actual number of cars sold can, and may well do, change either up or down for unrelated reasons - let's face it; most cars are sold to people who could do quite happily with the one they have already.

John

[UncleHo]

Aah! but you need a new car every couple of years just to keep up with the "Joneses" :angel:

[JDNSW]

Aah! but you need a new car every couple of years just to keep up with the "Joneses" :angel:

Yes, of course, but this is a 'need' that could change overnight! The need for a new car every couple of years is only felt by a fairly small proportion of the population, and this proportion could quite easily change, and this change, if down could produce a false "peak car", or if up, could mask a real "peak car". Which is what I was trying to say.

John

[jonesfam]

I would like to meet the bloke that recons us Joneses have all this money &
high living?
Wouldn't take much to keep up with me.
Jonesfam

[AndyG]

Cars are not the status symbol they once were, now its the MacMansion and SMSF.

Plus they mostly all look the same, so how do you compete.

[Ausfree]

My fathers generation used to show there new or "new" second hand car to all their friends and family after they bought it. Taking people for a drive to show off the new car was normal practice.

I have bought quite a number of new or "new" second hand cars and not once have I taken them around friends and family to show off. I bought my last new car in 2012 and I think half my friends and family haven't seen it yet.

The novelty of the car is definitely waning, we make do with one car whereas in years gone by, I had a car and my wife had a car also.


So yes, it would not surprise me that cars have "peaked".:)

[gossamer]

Aah! but you need a new car every couple of years just to keep up with the "Joneses" :angel:
Not always the "joneses" some people change cars for tax purposes
My wife now works in the city and her work supplies a discounted yearly public transport ticket. We have a bus stop just near the end of the street and she gets off 2 k's from work so she can get some exercise. We now find ourselves with a spare car although we still need a 2nd car for the odd occasion. When my generation hit 18 we pretty well got our license that day, i know of 2 blokes between 18 and 20 who don't have a license and don't seem to be in a hurry to get one :eek: They both live at home with their parents though.

[Mick_Marsh]

Have we hit peak car?
No.

There are still a few more I'd like to buy.

[Toxic_Avenger]

I'm doing my part... 2 person household, 4 cars.
Would I buy another? Heck yes.

[trog]

Maybe a TD5 Disco. Mine could be for sale early in the new year

[4x4 MORE]

My fathers generation used to show there new or "new" second hand car to all their friends and family after they bought it. Taking people for a drive to show off the new car was normal practice.

I have bought quite a number of new or "new" second hand cars and not once have I taken them around friends and family to show off. I bought my last new car in 2012 and I think half my friends and family haven't seen it yet.

The novelty of the car is definitely waning, we make do with one car whereas in years gone by, I had a car and my wife had a car also.


So yes, it would not surprise me that cars have "peaked".:)


You got a good point there..nearly everyone who is not a car enthusiast these days could't care less if you got a new car[or new to you]

However nearly everyone would be excited to see your new I phone or what ever;):(:(

[bikeman]

I am one of the " Joneses". My "new' car is a 1995 Classic RR. I am sure nearly everyone could keep up with us!!!!!:)

[B92 8NW]

When I bought my D1 at 18 I never imagined that I'd still be driving the same car seven years later. Get a little frightened every time I see the mileage on it now and wonder how much longer is left in it:D. I have roughly worked out that it will need to keep on going for another 3 or so years and reach 400,000 km until I can replace it, as house priorities are well ahead of any more car expenditure:(

Ideally I would like to live closer to where I work, but I work in horrible suburb and would rather spend two hours travelling each day in a 17 year old D1 than live there. That's my choice so I can't complain about the commute (but I do anyway).

[DiscoMick]

I am debating if we should upgrade the wife's Yaris next year or just keep paying the $100 a week the finance costs until it runs out and then own it. It was bought as a reliable runabout, whereas the Defender is not used for commuting. So I think we have hit 'peak car' in our family.

Sent from my GT-P5210 using AULRO mobile app

[Mick_Marsh]

I am one of the " Joneses". My "new' car is a 1995 Classic RR. I am sure nearly everyone could keep up with us!!!!!:)

It would appear I have some modernising to do.

[Tombie]

2 person household..

D4, D90, 2 Cruiser style Motorbikes and a Nissan Terrano (as a plant car)

And I live 4 1/2 minutes from work :cool:

Would I have it any other way? Not on your life...

Got the house, got the boat, happy with my toys ;)

[loanrangie]

When I bought my D1 at 18 I never imagined that I'd still be driving the same car seven years later. Get a little frightened every time I see the mileage on it now and wonder how much longer is left in it:D. I have roughly worked out that it will need to keep on going for another 3 or so years and reach 400,000 km until I can replace it, as house priorities are well ahead of any more car expenditure:(

Ideally I would like to live closer to where I work, but I work in horrible suburb and would rather spend two hours travelling each day in a 17 year old D1 than live there. That's my choice so I can't complain about the commute (but I do anyway).

Thats quite out of character for your age group, i see others mortgaging them selves to the hilt so they can drive a newer car.
I hang on to my vehicles for a long time, 8 years on my D1, 6 on my old 85 RRC and 20 years for my old 2dr rrc.
I'd much rather have 4 older vehicles (classic, vintage etc ) than 1 new car , no new car on the market has any appeal for me.

I work near the airport and no way in hell i would want to live any closer, i actually want to move out further so i can get a bigger block so i can build a big shed so i can buy more cars/ bikes - think i've been hanging around Mr Marsh to much :D.

[B92 8NW]

Thats quite out of character for your age group, i see others mortgaging them selves to the hilt so they can drive a newer car.
I hang on to my vehicles for a long time, 8 years on my D1, 6 on my old 85 RRC and 20 years for my old 2dr rrc.
I'd much rather have 4 older vehicles (classic, vintage etc ) than 1 new car , no new car on the market has any appeal for me.

I work near the airport and no way in hell i would want to live any closer, i actually want to move out further so i can get a bigger block so i can build a big shed so i can buy more cars/ bikes - think i've been hanging around Mr Marsh to much :D.

We must be work neighbours as I have seen your Disco parked right under the window of my desk a few times before:eek:.

[DiscoMick]

Woes of Megacity Driving Signal Dawn of (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-02-24/woes-of-megacity-driving-signals-dawn-of-peak-car-era.html)


This is an interesting story. It says that the USA and Germany have already hit peak car and that 10% of Americans households are now carless.
It also predicts that as more and more people concentrate in cities the development of the driverless car and improved car-sharing schemes will further reduce the need for cars.
Personally, I could and have taken the bus to work, but currently find it more convenient for the wife and I to share our Yaris as cheap transport. Maybe I will have to reconsider.

[loanrangie]

We must be work neighbours as I have seen your Disco parked right under the window of my desk a few times before:eek:.

Say what :o. pm me if you like.

[4x4 MORE]

Thats quite out of character for your age group, i see others mortgaging them selves to the hilt so they can drive a newer car.
I hang on to my vehicles for a long time, 8 years on my D1, 6 on my old 85 RRC and 20 years for my old 2dr rrc.
I'd much rather have 4 older vehicles (classic, vintage etc ) than 1 new car , no new car on the market has any appeal for me.

I work near the airport and no way in hell i would want to live any closer, i actually want to move out further so i can get a bigger block so i can build a big shed so i can buy more cars/ bikes - think i've been hanging around Mr Marsh to much :D.

BINGO!

[Mick_Marsh]

i actually want to move out further so i can get a bigger block so i can build a big shed so i can buy more cars/ bikes - think i've been hanging around Mr Marsh to much :D.
Oh, good. I've just bought an old caravan. I need somewhere to store it.

[Sprint]

1 person household, 2, sometimes 3 registered cars.....

and I wonder why I'm always broke....