New Poll: Americans Can’t Imagine Life Without Cars, Even While Using Them Less

Pew’s new poll about “necessities” finds that life without cars is still unimaginable to nearly all Americans. Nearly nine in ten count their automobile as indispensable, ranking it far ahead of any other item in that respect. The also rans:

- 66% for a clothes dryer
- 54%  home air conditioning
- 52% a TV set
- 50% a home computer
- 49% a cell phone

And so on down to a Flowbee, which less than 1% consider a necessity.

But then look at the bar chart that compares this year’s results to those from 2006, the last time the poll was done. Energy gobbling mainstays of modernity like the clothes drier and air conditioner seem to have a much weaker hold on us these days. And our old friend the television is also down big time. (Though one wonders if that’s just because everyone is watching their shows on Hulu?)

Even digital age devices like the PC and cell phone are only treading water during a period when both have gotten much cheaper and better.

The poll seems to offer yet another reason to look seriously at what’s going on in America and ask: Are we just temporarily scaling back our appetites during a recession or are we in the midst of a much more lasting cultural and economic shift toward lower consumption habits? “Consumption” in this case is not just buying fewer gizmos and wingdings, but also driving less–which has become a pronounced trend well beyond what one expect from the effects of recession and unemployment alone.

So just because the automobile is still a necessity to most people, doesn’t mean that they still want to drive it as many miles each year.

Consider the recent NY Times business story that observed: “Japan offers a peek at how thrift can take lasting hold on a consumer society, to disastrous effect.” Young people in that country simply don’t want cars anymore — as in, have no desire for them even if money isn’t an issue.

In a practical sense, it’s time to ask questions about projections for national energy consumption going forward. Most (including those from the Department of Energy) show an increase of 30% or so in electrical demand over the next two decades and based on extrapolating trends of the post-war era, all of which are involve ever-growing energy consumption. These projections, in turn, are the basis for trillions of dollars in planned investments, in everything from new road capacity to power generation.

But what if the typical American is driving 25 percent fewer miles in a decade (not at all an impossiblity)? What if this same American is using 20 percent less electricity (again, not unreasonable)? Which is to say, what if “thrift” is taking a lasting hold on us, and we’ve just become less enthralled by consumption in all forms?

We learned from the housing crisis that basing future projections on current trends (real estate never goes down nationally!) is a freaking disaster. But are government and industry considering these lower consumption scenarios?

If they aren’t (and they aren’t), they might want to start giving it some thought.