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2025 "On the Move" Mobility Survey: U.K. Results

A man and woman in the United Kingdom talk inside a car
U.K. On the Move graphic

Gen Z Fuel Shift in U.K. Driving Habits – Younger Drivers Spend More Time Behind the Wheel, Show Strongest Interest in Vehicle Tech
 

  • Car ownership remains deeply ingrained in British life – with 73% of respondents saying they couldn’t imagine navigating life without owning a car. 
  • Gen Z and Millennial Britons (8%) are 2.9x more likely to own a plug-in hybrid car than Boomer and Silent Generation Britons (3%).
  • Gen Z and Millennials are 2.7x more likely to feel comfortable riding in AVs than Boomers and Silent Gen, yet most still prefer human-driven cars.
  • More than half (54%) of Britons believe new cars pack in too much technology.
  • Overall, U.K. drivers’ weekly, or more, usage of privately-owned vehicles increased year-on-year from 2024 to 2025 by 8 percentage points.
  • U.K. drivers may be viewing rentals as a good way to test new features before making a long-term commitment. 50% of U.K. drivers say they expect rental vehicles to have all the latest technology.
An electric vehicle is being charged

Britons Increasingly Using Hybrid, Plug-In and Electric Vehicles
 

  • Gen Z and Millennial Britons are more likely than other generations to drive electric (10%) and plug-in hybrid (8%) vehicles.
  • 23% of Britons are using a hybrid, plug-in or electric vehicle as their primary vehicle.
  • Younger Gen Z and Millennial drivers also view EV ownership in a positive light, with 56% believing they are fun to drive and 46% believe that EVs are more affordable to own in the long run.
U.K. On the Move graphic

Changing Commuting Habits
 

  • 14% of commuters report that their commute times have increased relative to 2024.
  • Of those whose commute time increased in the past year, 91% said their commute increased by less than an hour, with the average increase being 14 minutes.
  • 9% of those who are spending longer commuting say their commute times increased by more than an hour. 
  • U.K. respondents choosing to commute in 2025 are paying an average of £507.12 more this year than last year to get to work.
  • 43% say their commute would improve if it was not so expensive, while almost one in four (24%) want a less stressful experience for their commutes.
  • Nearly one-quarter of respondents who travel for work prefer company or rental vehicles and one of the top motivators for doing so is to avoid ‘wear and tear’ on personal vehicles.
Woman uses her bracelet to open a car door

Drivers Want Tech Balance
 

  • U.K. drivers want balance with vehicle technology, with over half (54%) of those surveyed indicating they would prefer a mix of touch screens and physical buttons.
  • Nearly three-quarters (74%) worry about things like repair costs if something breaks and well over half (64%) of drivers say they would willingly give up the latest tech for a more affordable vehicle.
  • Despite this, everyday tools like GPS and Bluetooth are still considered must-haves and safety is a key consideration for consumers, with nearly half (47%) preferring to have advanced driver assistance features in their vehicles, including blind spot detection, automatic emergency braking and lane departure warning.
U.K. On the Move graphic

Experience Is the Key to Changing AV Perceptions
 

  • Fewer than 1-in-5 drivers say their ideal level of automation is high or full automation and overall comfort with riding in an AV has declined by five percentage points since 2024.
  • Despite limited AV experiences among the U.K. public, among those who’ve actually ridden in an autonomous vehicle, 91% report feeling the same or more positive about the technology, reinforcing that direct experience could be key to future adoption.
  • Almost half (46%) of those excited about AVs recognise that they'll give riders time to do things in a car besides drive; for example, turning commutes into "me time."