Children are playing a key role in accelerating the switch to electric vehicles, an ABB e-mobility study for World EV Day has found.

Nearly 60% of parents reported being educated on environmental issues by their children

Nearly 60% of parents taking part in its global study said they were being educated on environmental issues by their children, with over two-thirds discussing EV purchase plans with them.

One-third of US parents who drive an EV said it was pressure from their children which made them make the switch.

Worryingly, the research also found almost half of parents said that their employer’s policies did not support the switch to driving electric, despite growing desire for such a move.

The study, comprised of 2,500 parents (with children aged 8-16) and 2,500 children (aged 8-16), involved participants from ABB E-mobility’s 10 largest markets; Canada, China, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and USA.

The research demonstrates the crucial role that the next generation has to play in helping reduce emissions and enable a more sustainable future.

And the potential future EV trends revealed by the survey also highlight the crucial role EV charging infrastructure – both public and private – will play in enabling further adoption.

Almost eight out of 10 parents globally (and 98% in China) said that having an EV charger installed would make them more likely to buy a property, demonstrating the importance of facilitating easy and convenient charging.

Frank Muehlon, CEO for ABB E-mobility, said: “On World EV Day, it is encouraging to see the results of our global study reveal the excitement and determination of young people, as well as the increasing dialogue and action across generations, to move toward a low-carbon future.

“It is also clear, however, that many people still do not feel empowered to take the climate-conscious steps they are clearly ready for. It is our hope that those in positions of power will work together to quickly implement electrification policies which enable a cleaner, greener society, just as we have committed to doing with our ABB Sustainability Strategy 2030.”

ABB has committed to transitioning its entire global fleet of more than 10,000 vehicles to EVs by the end of the decade as part of its 2030 Sustainability Strategy. In the last year alone, the number of charging stations installed at ABB sites increased by almost 100%, from 545 to 1,082. These are split globally across 146 locations in 27 countries. Additionally, in 2021, EVs or plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) accounted for 44% of ABB’s global new vehicle orders.

To access the full ABB e-mobility study, click here.