Research conducted by Piyushimita (Vonu) Thakuriah, Ph.D., has examined the factors influencing car ownership in the United States during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The study utilized a nationally representative household survey covering January 2020 to March 2022, employing a multilevel Hurdle model with month and state random effects to analyze vehicle ownership trends for both car-owning and carless households.
The findings revealed that increased economic stimulus funding raised the likelihood of owning a vehicle. Conversely, high car prices and housing costs were found to negatively impact car ownership. Additionally, the research highlighted that "greater proportion of workers affected car-owning and carless households differently" and noted that "stringency of Stay-at-Home levels and COVID caseloads also had different effects."
Pre-existing disparities related to race, occupation, and dwelling conditions persisted throughout the period studied. The analysis took into account various factors such as household labor force participation, household size changes, youth presence in households, living in states with significant COVID cases, and social distancing mandates' stringency.
Thakuriah's research emphasized its significance by disentangling pandemic-related influences from structural changes within households. It explored how short-term pandemic impacts combined with long-term demographic shifts affected car ownership differently across households. Policy implications were suggested for consumer protection during the car buying process, auto loan forbearance during economic disruptions, public transportation strategies amidst declining usage rates, and sustainability initiatives due to an increase in older used cars on roads.
