New forms of mobility

Revolution or the limits of reality?

Firstly, there is a real tension between announcements of a coming "mobility revolution", driven by technologies such as electricity or hydrogen and the promotion of car-sharing and shared mobility in general, and what it is actually possible to do in France.

Two figures help to explain why things are not going to change that quickly: today, 97% of vehicles are combustion-powered and, according to our modelling for 2030, 86% will still be. Two-thirds of daily journeys are made by car. The pace is therefore not the same between the speed of technology and the slowness of real change, not least because three quarters of French people have no choice but to do without a car, with disparities: the main daily journey to work averages 18km in major cities, compared with 29km in rural areas. This difference in distance, 65%, is enormous: the most glaring inequality between town and country is the distance to work. In rural areas, a tiny proportion of these journeys are made by French people who use a means of transport other than the private car, in areas where housing is scattered.

Shared mobility involves both a cultural revolution that goes against the instinct for ownership and developments that meet expectations of practicality

The second finding is that cycling is undeniably on the increase, with 14% of the French population using it daily, regardless of where they live. While generation Z uses it more (23%), generation X and older people also use it frequently (11%). However, we need to create the right conditions to encourage real changes in the way people get around. Shared mobility, for its part, involves both a cultural revolution that goes against the instinct for ownership and developments that meet expectations of practicality (proximity, availability, adaptation to specific needs, etc.).

Nor is it easy to move from a model where success means being independent, having your own car and house, to one where "success means sharing"!

Finally, in order to remove the obstacles faced by the French, massive investment is needed in infrastructure, while other sectors (health, education, etc.) also require enormous resources. Yet infrastructure plays an essential role if we want to change the way the French behave and provide them with satisfactory solutions. It is only in Paris where they are more or less at work, but it is unrealistic to speak of a "mobility revolution" in the rest of France.

Table of content 

1. An introduction to Flair France 2023: The era of polycrisis?
2. The secrets of happiness
3. Is "local" the new magic word?
4. The 2022 advertising awards for the general public
5. New forms of mobility
6. Why is luxury outpacing inflation?