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Forward, Upward, and into the Future.

Adjusting to a future that looks dramatically different might cause discomfort, but today’s evolving world offers exciting opportunities across the globe. The key to our success is our ability to anticipate and prepare for whatever comes next.

Ford Motor Company is leaning into change, striving to understand the attitudes, aspirations, and anxieties about the future that people worldwide are experiencing and confronting. We are committed to helping everyone be free to keep moving forward and pursuing their dreams – in this decade and beyond.

In this 10th annual “Looking Further with Ford” trend report, we’re focused on the distant future – and how we can build a better world for generations to come.

Enjoy.

Sheryl Connelly signature

Sheryl Connelly, Chief Futurist

- Ford Motor Company

Who is prepared for what the future might bring?

PERCENT WHO AGREE

Car Love

Is the love affair between car and driver nearing an end? With ride-hailing services on the rise, an increase in bike and scooter rentals, and advances in autonomous driving, it’s a fair question. For now, an emotional connection to our vehicles endures. Most young people give their vehicle a nickname. 65% of people of all ages have felt sad or nostalgic when saying goodbye to an owned or leased vehicle, 65% of all people experience sadness or nostalgia. In 2020, 75% of car owners told us they couldn’t imagine life without their automobile. So for the foreseeable future, the romance remains alive and well.

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Car Love illustrated animation
Mobility Futures illustrated animation

Mobility Futures

In the not-so-distant future, transportation of people and goods will increasingly be served by electric vehicles. As lineups expand exponentially, concerns about charging, range and infrastructure will multiply. By 2035, nearly half of adults believe riding in an autonomous vehicle will be safer than riding in a vehicle driven by a human; parents prefer their children to ride in an autonomous vehicle over riding with strangers. Long-term, 42% of adults believe traffic jams are more likely to occur in the skies than on the ground.

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Our Planet

Experts project the global population will grow to 10 billion by 2050. Resources could become so diminished that the question changes from how to sustain the planet, to how to exit it. Fewer than half of adults surveyed worldwide think governments are prepared for the future, signaling that more needs to be done. In addition to the implementation of promising new technology, there’s an urgent need for individuals, communities, and businesses to reimagine their roles in supporting the future of Planet Earth.

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Our Planet illustrated animation
Trand Identity and Belonging illustrated animation

Identity & Belonging

Will the labels we use to describe ourselves eventually become meaningless? Will the categories that separate us – like age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, and disability – disappear? Challenging our own biases promotes curiosity, empathy, and understanding. Younger generations are optimistic about this – more than half of Millennials and Gen-Zers believe that racial and ethnic equality will be achieved in their lifetimes.

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Information & Knowledge

Our relationship with technology and data grows increasingly complicated. Perhaps it’s no surprise that 74% of adults are concerned about their data and online behaviors being tracked. At the same time, many might be willing to embrace digital tracking technology to achieve greater safety, health, productivity, knowledge, and virtual immortality.

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Brain illustrated animation
Productivity illustrated animation

Productivity

Twin threats – an aging labor force and global worker shortages – have companies striving for increased productivity with smart tech solutions. The artificial intelligence robot market is expected to grow from $6.9 billion in 2021 to $35.3 billion in 2026 – yet 36% of adults say they fear artificial intelligence. As technology disrupts where, when, and how work gets done, will society be ready to embrace the change?

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Family

Marriage rates are declining in advanced economies, and so are birthrates. Worldwide, nearly half of all young adults in our survey say they think marriage will become an outdated concept by 2035, and of them, 24% of those without children say they don’t plan to become parents. Perhaps the family of the future will be defined by reliance, trust, and intimate connections with fellow humans, pets, organizations, even robots.

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Family illustrated animation

Curious about past trends?

Explore our previous trend books below.

The results for Ford Trends 2022 are based on 14,006 online interviews across 15 countries, conducted under the direction of The Harris Poll. The survey was conducted among the general population, ages 18 years and older in the following countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States. Respondents from Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates were required to be nationals of their respective countries; data from these two countries were combined and analyzed in aggregate. All fieldwork took place between October 27 and November 12, 2020. While the data within countries were weighted to be representative, the overall sample of 14,006 was not weighted across countries. That is, we do not claim that aggregated data is representative based on country population sizes across the participating countries.

Region Country Sample Size
Australia 1,001
Brazil 1,000
Canada 1,000
China 1,000
France 1,000
Germany 1,001
India 1,000
Italy 1,000
Mexico 1,000
Spain 1,000
Middle East Saudi Arabia 501
South Africa 1001
Middle East UAE 502
U.K. 1,000
USA 1,000
Total 14,006

We have defined generational cohorts as follows: Gen-Z (18-23), Millennials (24-39), Gen-X (40-55), Boomers (56-74).