Greta my ass: Young people buy CO2 guzzlers
A new data analysis by the Federal Roads Office (Astra) shows: When it comes to buying cars, young people think anything but environmentally friendly.
The basis for the data analysis presented in the current issue of the SonntagsZeitung is a database that lists all cars registered in Switzerland. Around 4.6 million entries provide information on where people of what age buy which cars - categorized by CO2 emissions, among other things.
The results paint a different picture than that of climate-sensitive youth fighting against unteachable, CO2-puffing, older generations. At least when it comes to young car owners. 14,000 cars are registered to owners up to 19 years old. Average CO2 emissions are 161 grams per kilometer, according to the analysis. That's a lot - only the "80 to 90 years" and "over 90 years" group blows more CO2 into the environment on average.
Environment is not top priority for young people
Erich Schwizer from TCS explains this circumstance to the SonntagsZeitung that young people are primarily concerned with roadworthiness and price when buying their first car, which is why they often opt for an older model. These generally consume more fuel. Schwizer's assumption is supported by the data: two-thirds of the cars bought by these buyers were built before 2010, compared with only one-third on average across all age categories.
For Micaël Tille, a lecturer at the EPF Lausanne, the anlysis shows a "typical discourse" that apparently also applies to young people: People are concerned about the environment and the climate - but when buying a car, many forget their principles.
The young nevertheless give hope
The fact that only a few young people drive an electric car can be explained by the high hurdles. As a rule, you need your own charging station. If you don't own your own home, you have to convince your landlord of the need - which is too time-consuming and cost-intensive for many young people.
Despite analysis: Fewer and fewer young people are taking out driver's licenses, and in no other age group are so few cars registered. And: The best CO2 values are achieved by 20 to 29 year-olds with 155 grams per kilometer. This could be an indication that the youngest generation of drivers would be quite willing to put the brakes on consumption and performance - as soon as they can afford to.
