Ford unveils car of the future based on the dreams of 8 and 9-year-olds

By Richard Jenkins via SWNS

Ford has unveiled the car of 2030 based on the views eight and 9-year-olds and it should be comfortable, safe, electric and able to fly.

A survey of 500 boys and girls looked at what the vehicles they learn to drive in should look and feel like when they’re old enough to take their test.

Showing maturity above their years, the most important feature on their dream car was comfortable seats, followed by high levels of safety and the car being environmentally friendly.

Black and red were the most popular car colors - while electricity was far and away the ideal source of power, with diesel and petrol going out the window.

And six percent said they want engineers to take cars to the next level and dodge traffic by making them fly.

More than three-quarters (79 percent) of those, aged eight and nine, surveyed by Ford, said they are looking forward to learning to drive in 2030.

But more than half (52 percent) want cars to be so easy they don't need to take a driving test - and a quarter say they want cars to drive themselves.

Ford asked its designer, Nedzad Mujcinovic, to mock up the dream car for the nation’s 17 and 18-year-olds in 2030.

The manufacturer also introduced a group of schoolchildren to its new Mustang Mach-E model and asked them to critique it as part of a "Ford Focus Group."

“It’s clear that today’s children have their wonderful imagination, but they’re also sensible at the same time," said Alice Swallow, senior innovation engineer at Ford, which commissioned the research as part of its "Go Electric" report.

“They want their car to fly and be fun, but they’re also very keen on future mobility being sustainable and safe.

“We’ve mocked up how we think this dream car should look. It would certainly grab attention - but we’re not overly sure it will be appearing on our forecourts in the next decade or so.

“When presented with the new Ford Mustang Mach-E, our young Future Generation focus group certainly had some strong views on the car, with the interior tech receiving high praise, and they quickly identified that it was all-electric.”

Ford also surveyed 2,000 adults to get their thoughts on driving in 2030, the year the government plans on outlawing the sale of new gas and diesel cars.

Almost half think car manufacturers should use the switch to electric cars as a reason to revolutionize how cars look.

But, 65 percent are worried a road full of silent cars will become a menace for others on the road and pedestrians.

Seventy percent admitted they were worried the rise in autonomous technology will make drivers lazy, resulting in a lack of concentration just when they might need to make an emergency stop or maneuver.

As society continues to look towards a more sustainable future, 70 percent want car manufacturers to provide a breakdown of how much of their cars are made from recycled products.

And three quarters (76 percent) said they should be transparent about where the materials on their cars are sourced from, according to the study, carried out via OnePoll.

"We’re passionate about making the car people want as well as the car people need, and it’s vital we listen to the views of both children and adults on the road to 2030," said Swallow.