JAMA: 2017 Japanese Passenger Car Market Trend Survey Report

The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association released the 2017 (April 2017 to March 2018) "Sedan Market Trend Survey". The survey results show that among adults under 30, more than half of them answered "do not want to buy" as in the previous survey, but they showed great interest in car rental and car sharing, which once again highlights that young Japanese people find it difficult to bear the cost of car maintenance and are no longer obsessed with "owning".

Last year, the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association conducted an online survey among adults under 30 years old (including college students) to investigate the younger generation's understanding of cars. Of the 1,000 people who answered the question, 800 did not own a car. When asked whether these people without cars had any intention to buy one, 29% answered "I don't want to buy" and 25% answered "I don't really want to buy", which added up to 54%, the second time the figure exceeded 50% since the last survey in 2015.

When asked why they didn’t want to buy a car (multiple answers are available), the most common answer was “I can still live without buying it”, accounting for 33%, followed by “I will have to spend more on parking fees”, accounting for 27%, and then “I want to spend money on things other than cars”, accounting for 25%. This shows their down-to-earth consumption tendency.

However, they also agree on the value of using cars, with more than 40% of those who do not own a car saying they are “interested.” Among those who do not own a car, 366 people said they want to buy one. In terms of car usage, the majority of people said they rented a car, accounting for 71%, and many people were interested in “car sharing” where multiple people share a car, accounting for 51%.

In addition, they also showed great interest in self-driving cars, which are undergoing fierce competition in the world. Nearly 40% of those who do not own a car expressed interest. The awareness of car consumers is changing from "ownership" to "utilization". In order to expand opportunities for contact with consumers, large automobile manufacturers such as Toyota Motor and Nissan Motor have strengthened their response measures for "shared car" services. The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association is also planning to hold an event this fall that people who are not interested in cars can also participate in, and is currently preparing.

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