Preparing the region for ‘peak car’
This report explores the anticipated "peak car" phenomenon in the UK, where the total number of cars on the roads is expected to decline starting in the early 2030s.
Shifting to a less car-dependent future requires strategic investment and planning.
Considering data on the net stock of cars on UK roads this report forecasts the number of cars to peak in the early 2030s.
The type of new cars being registered are also rapidly changing from internal combustion to EVs. These two changes have significant consequences for policy in our region. Transport policy must prepare for this future and take advantage of what less competition for road space can mean for sustainability and well-being. Whilst there are opportunities this change poses a significant risk to the automotive sector, a key sector for the West Midlands region.
This report is intended as a starting point for managing the opportunities and risks of a peak car and EV future in the region.
Meet the Authors
Dr Sara Hassan
Sara Hassan is a Research Fellow at City REDI with a strong multidisciplinary background: a Doctorate in Urban Transport Planning, a Master’s degree in Urban Planning and Landscape and a Bachelor in Architectural Engineering. Her research and teaching interests include a focus on urban and transport planning by developing innovative policy evaluation models and policy reform issues, policy analysis and how it impacts poor and marginalised communities, community development and urban planning. She also researches in the area of local economic development, migration and commuting. Her recent projects include £3.45 million ERDF funded project USE-IT! Unlocking Social and Economic Innovation Together looking at Urban Poverty in Birmingham. She has broad experience in teaching, both at undergraduate and postgraduate level, including courses on urban and regional planning, urban regeneration, urban design and transport planning.
Dr Matthew Lyons
Matt Lyons joined the City-REDI team in May 2021 as a Research Fellow. He is responsible for developing the team’s regional economic modelling capabilities whilst supporting projects across WMREDI. Additionally, he will contribute to research in the creative industries.
He is an economic geographer with a specialism in regional economic development. Matt’s PhD describes the extent to which the Cardiff Capital Region City Deal can address the economic development problems of South East Wales through a focus on the creative economy. Matt is due to complete his PhD at Cardiff University in 2021. He holds an MSc in Social Science Research Methods from Cardiff University and a BSc in Economics from the University of Plymouth. He has consulted on research projects across various areas, from; healthcare inequalities to monetary systems reform.