NEW YORK (April 15, 2014) – Forbes announced today the release of the sixth title in its 2014 e-book line, Curbing Cars: America’s Independence From the Auto Industry, by Forbes Contributor Micheline Maynard. The new e-book, produced and distributed by Vook, looks at one of the biggest changes over the past decade: Americans are driving less, and fewer teens and young people are getting their driver's licenses.
Americans are looking at alternatives to driving cars, such as using public transportation and taxi services, car-sharing and bike-sharing opportunities, and walking to more destinations. While some are giving up cars completely, others are adopting a style called "driving light" and using their cars when there are no other transportation options. This e-book explains four reasons as to why this is happening:
- Mobile apps and other types of technology are making it possible to do things that used to require owning a car. For young people, a smartphone ranks higher in importance than a car.
- After the recession of 2008, people are more attuned to the expense involved in owning a car. The average price of a new car is $33,000. Car payments, parking, repairs and gasoline are additional expenses incurred for a car that might be used less than an hour a day.
- For some, giving up a car is a way to protect the environment, so they prefer riding a bicycle or taking public transportation.
- The Obama administration, which spent $82 billion to save the U.S. auto industry, is spending additional billions for cities to create new bike lanes, streetcars, light rail systems and other non-automotive infrastructure.
Forbes Contributor Micheline Maynard is a Reynolds Visiting Professor of Business Journalism at the Cronkite School at Arizona State University. She is the former Detroit Bureau Chief for the New York Times and was senior editor of the public media project Changing Gears. She has authored four books, including The End of Detroit: How The Big Three Lost Their Grip on the American Car Market. Forbes’ 2014 e-book line will feature several unique subjects over the upcoming months, including How the World Changed For Millenials.
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