Mercedes Benz

Nearly 40 percent of the 1,250 consumers Cox surveyed said that while access to transportation is necessary, owning a vehicle is not. Photo credit: DAVID PHILLIPS The private vehicle ownership model continues to erode in the minds of Americans, according to a survey of consumers by Cox Automotive. Half of the respondents to the survey said that the cost of owning or leasing a vehicle is becoming too high — a sentiment that is driving more interest in on-demand and shared transportation services. Nearly 40 percent of the 1,250 consumers Cox surveyed said that while access to transportation is necessary, owning a vehicle is not. For urban respondents, 57 percent said private vehicle ownership is not necessary to get from point A to point B. Such findings continue to sound an alarm to an industry deeply invested in manufacturing, retailing and maintaining privately owned cars and trucks. The auto industry is experimenting with new models. Mercedes-Benz, BMW and General Motors, for insta...

The Trump administration's move to roll back U.S. fuel economy standards is getting some pushback from car shoppers. The administration this month proposed freezing corporate average fuel economy rules at 2020 model-year levels, rather than pushing for incremental improvements through the 2025 model year as required under the Obama-era plan in effect. The new proposal would also rescind California's ability to establish emissions standards stricter than the federal government. But a study by Autolist.com indicates that fewer than a third of consumers support efforts to scale back CAFE rules. Autolist, which surveyed 1,132 current car shoppers after the administration's proposal was announced, found that 41 percent of respondents disagree with the proposal, while 30 percent are on the fence. According to the study, half of the respondents said states such as California should be allowed to establish stricter standards, while 29 percent said a state shouldn't have the aut...