The personal car leads at 40.9%, followed by public transport at 31.7% and motorcycles or scooters at 18.7%. The main mode varies widely by country.
🛡️ Daily Life — Global Study
Safety Cost or Speed? : What 10,705 People Reveal About the Future of Transport
Electric vehicles, self-driving cars and high-speed trains promise a new way to travel. But what do people really want from transport, and what is holding the future back?
💬 Total Respondents 10,705
🌍 Countries Covered 39
🗓️ 2026
⏱ 6 Min Read
the standout stat
0
%
What We Asked. What People Said.
rate their likelihood of switching to an electric vehicle 4 or 5 out of 5.
0
%
rank safety as the most important factor when choosing transport.
0
%
would consider using self-driving cars.
0
%
say high costs are the biggest challenge facing future transportation.
%
Quick Read – Key Findings
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THE BIG PICTURE
How will people travel in the years ahead? Will electric vehicles replace petrol cars? Will self-driving cars become normal? And what stands in the way?
The Panel Station’s Future of Transportation Survey 2026, based on 10,705 completed responses from 39 countries, shows strong openness to change. 75.2% of respondents rate their likelihood of switching to an electric vehicle 4 or 5 out of 5.
Yet the findings also show that people judge transport by practical standards. Safety is the most important factor when choosing how to travel, and cost is the biggest challenge they see ahead.
Environmental impact, often central to discussions about the future of transport, ranks last for most respondents. Interest in electric vehicles appears to rest on more than environmental concern alone.
The larger story is about how everyday needs shape attitudes to new technology, and what must change before interest turns into adoption.
Personal Cars Lead, but Public Transport Is Close Behind
Before looking at the future, it helps to understand how people travel today.
40.9% say a personal car is the mode of transport they use most often, while 31.7% rely mainly on public transport. Motorcycles or scooters follow at 18.7%. Walking (4.1%), ride-hailing or taxi services (3.0%) and bicycles (1.7%) are the main choice for relatively few.
Everyday travel looks very different from one country to another. Public transport is the main mode for 64.8% of respondents in Kenya and 61.4% in Nigeria.
In Saudi Arabia (61.1%), the United Arab Emirates (59.7%) and South Africa (58.1%), the personal car dominates. In Indonesia, 51.7% mainly use a motorcycle or scooter, as do 40.0% in India.
These differences matter for the future of transport. A new technology that suits car owners may mean little to people who depend on buses, trains or two-wheelers.
Safety Comes First When People Choose How to Travel
When people rank what matters most in choosing transport, one factor clearly leads.
46.8% rank safety first, ahead of cost at 29.6%, travel time at 11.8% and comfort at 9.6%. Only 2.2% put environmental impact first.
Safety appears in the top two for 70.2% of respondents and cost for 49.7%. Among those who ranked all five factors, safety has an average position of 1.84, while environmental impact averages 4.30.
Safety leads in every large market, but most strongly in Nigeria, where 57.8% rank it first. Cost carries extra weight in South Africa (35.6%) and Kenya (34.2%).
Travel time matters more in Saudi Arabia (18.2%), Egypt (18.0%) and the United Arab Emirates (17.3%) than in Nigeria (4.3%).
Are People Ready to Switch to Electric Vehicles?
Interest in electric vehicles is strong across the survey.
75.2% rate their likelihood of switching to an electric vehicle 4 or 5 out of 5, including 42.9% who give the highest rating. Another 17.0% are neutral, while only 7.8% rate their likelihood 1 or 2.
Intention is highest in India, where 84.4% give a rating of 4 or 5, followed by Indonesia (80.4%) and Saudi Arabia (78.3%). It is lowest among the larger markets in South Africa (70.6%).
Which Future Transport Technologies Would People Use?
When asked which future technologies they would consider using, people favour the familiar over the futuristic.
59.7% would consider electric vehicles and 43.2% would consider self-driving cars. High-speed trains follow at 24.1%, flying taxis at 17.1% and shared electric scooters at 11.4%. Only 6.2% say none of these.
Respondents could choose more than one option, yet 67.2% chose just one technology. 31.7% chose electric vehicles alone.
Interest in self-driving cars is notably higher among people who rank safety first (47.5%) than among those who rank cost first (37.3%). For many, automation may be seen as a route to safer travel rather than a risk.
Country differences reflect local needs. High-speed trains attract 31.9% in Kenya, flying taxis 25.7% in Saudi Arabia and 25.1% in Egypt, and shared electric scooters 16.6% in India.
Would You Ride in a Self-Driving Car?
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Cost Is the Biggest Barrier to the Future of Transport
Strong interest in new transport technology does not mean the path ahead is clear.
38.5% say high costs are the biggest challenge facing future transportation. A lack of charging or transport infrastructure follows at 25.9%, and safety concerns at 19.5%. Fewer point to the environmental impact of manufacturing (6.7%) or limited availability (5.6%). Only 3.8% see no major challenges.
Why Does Environmental Impact Rank So Low?
The future of transport is often discussed in environmental terms. Respondents tell a more practical story.
60.1% of those who ranked all five factors placed environmental impact last when choosing transport. Only 2.2% ranked it first, and just 6.7% see the environmental impact of manufacturing as the biggest challenge.
This does not mean people are uninterested in cleaner transport. Interest in electric vehicles is high whether or not people rank the environment first. Among those who rank safety first, 76.6% rate their EV likelihood 4 or 5, close to the 77.7% among those who rank environmental impact first.
The pattern suggests that electric vehicles will be judged mainly on the same standards as any other transport: safety, cost and practicality.
Explore What Moves People
Discover how everyday needs shape the future of travel.
FAQ's
1. Are people ready to switch to electric vehicles in 2026?
According to The Panel Station’s Future of Transportation Survey 2026, most respondents are open to it. 75.2% rate their likelihood of switching to an electric vehicle 4 or 5 out of 5, while only 7.8% rate it 1 or 2.
2. What matters most to people when choosing transportation?
Safety. 46.8% rank safety as the most important factor, followed by cost at 29.6%. Environmental impact is ranked first by only 2.2%.
3. Would people use self-driving cars?
43.2% of respondents would consider using self-driving cars, making them the second most popular future technology after electric vehicles (59.7%).
4. What is the biggest challenge facing the future of transportation?
High costs, named by 38.5% of respondents. A lack of charging or transport infrastructure follows at 25.9%, and safety concerns at 19.5%.
5. Which mode of transport do people use most often?
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at a glance
Total Respondents
10,705
Countries Covered
39
Topic
Daily life
Survey time
~6 Min Read
Published Date
30 Oct'2026
Author
Shamin Pereira
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