A ‘Jetson’ Future Still Tops Kids’ Wish Lists, Says Hyundai

A Hyundai poll of children in “Generation Alpha” suggests they are just as hopeful for a Jetson-family future as the Baby-Boomers watching the 1960s Moonshots.

The automaker’s study of 1,000 UK children under the age of 12 revealed self-charging electric cars and public transport to space are the top of their future mobility wish list. Among children aged 6-10, 72% said self-charging electric cars were an invention they’d like to see, while over half would like a flying car. On top of this, 17% want to go to space using public transport.

When asked about other inventions for their future tech wish list, the transport theme continued with teleportation and a flying school bus, as well as robots. According to the poll, 65% think technology can make the world a better place, 59% thought it best for making and building things and 56% said it would be best for learning.

Meanwhile the automaker’s poll of 2,000 UK adults suggests 51% also believe that technological developments are essential for driving progress in society. It revealed they believe scientific research, healthcare, business and education are all areas where technology holds the key to success.

When considering the impact of technology on their day-to-day lives and its benefits, 62% said they recognized the role technology has played in their personal mobility. Transport was also a key area for tech developments, with 23% saying it would benefit from technological advances. There is also a clear appetite for mobility to be more sustainable, with 38% saying they felt technology could be deployed to improve transport and mobility’s environmental credentials.

Echoing their younger counterparts, when asked about the technology they were most excited about, robots, flying and autonomous cars all featured heavily for adults, while renewables and AI were also high on the agenda.

As Hyundai prepares new innovations like autonomous flying taxis, more than a third imagined such inventions wouldn’t be available for at least another 20 years. Meanwhile, three-quarters didn’t know some modern electric cars can be used as charging points, to charge other electric vehicles around them, and indeed other essential personal tech.

Ashley Andrew, managing director Hyundai Motor UK said: “It’s clear from our research that society is eager to embrace technology on a range of levels such as helping efforts to clean up the environment and offer clean mobility solutions, ultimately driving progress in the way we travel. Many of us are also intrigued by the potential capacities of robotics, and how this will determine the future of technology.”

— Paul Myles is a seasoned automotive journalist based in Europe. Follow him on Twitter @Paulmyles_