Better to Own than Just Use

Whichever country we look at in the latest Continental Mobility Study, owning a car is still very important to most people. Particularly in everyday life and in rural areas, cars are often indispensable. 

Cars have always been synonymous with flexible and independent mobility. According to the Continental Mobility Study 2024, around eight out of 10 car owners in Germany, the USA, France, China and Japan would be reluctant to do without their own vehicle. Nearly nine out of 10 respondents across all countries believe that owning a car is the only way to guarantee that they will always be able to get where they want to go without having to rely on public transport or car sharing. 

Direct access to a car is essential, especially for everyday tasks. In all countries surveyed, around 90 percent of car owners say they need their own four wheels for shopping and everyday errands, often due to a lack of alternatives. This is because rural areas in particular offer very few mobility options beyond the car – 84 percent of rural residents in France and 78 percent in Germany, for example, share this view.  

The importance of cars is also reflected in their high ownership rate: most households in Germany, France, China, Japan and the USA own at least one car. In the three western countries, around a quarter of respondents even have two cars at their disposal.