Today we see a lot of electric cars on the street and there will only be more in the future. However, what adults teach children about cars has not kept up with the times and is therefore very old-fashioned. They still describe the sound of a car as 'vroom' and in drawings a cloud comes out of the exhaust as standard. This is shown by research by the Vattenfall Solar Team.
The Vattenfall Solar Team consists of students from TU Delft. Every year they design and build a solar car, called Nuna, which they race in and have won seven times as world champions. The team regularly visits primary schools to get students excited about technology and to inform them about the importance of sustainability.
“When we speak to children, the sound of a car is still described by them as 'vroom'. But our car and other electric cars don't make that kind of noise anymore. Very old-fashioned actually.”
Research confirms: image of cars hopelessly old-fashioned
Research has shown that the image that TU Delft students received during their school visits is indeed correct. In a survey conducted by the students by research agency DirectResearch, it was found that nearly two-thirds of those surveyed associate the sound of a car with the word 'vroem'. Only 3% cite 'whisk' as the sound of a car. The latter sound is much more often thought of speed, noiselessness and movement.
Time for change
Books play an important role in the learning process of children, but even there, a major translation has to be made. The research shows that almost half of the respondents find a cloud from the exhaust typical of a car in a children's book. 99% of the Dutch state that they do not know a book about or with sustainable transport, such as an electric car. One in four respondents wants the image of cars to move with the times and to provide a more realistic picture of today.
Parents and grandparents on the move
Grandparents rarely seem to talk about sustainability with their grandchildren. Parents also prefer to ignore the subject. Only 16% of them say they regularly talk about sustainability with their children.
“As far as we are concerned, this percentage is too low. With the Vattenfall Solar Team, we will therefore continue to work to inspire children in the field of sustainability.”