IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/pra/mprapa/126877.html

Tracking Public Interest in Sustainable Mobility with Google Trends

Author

Listed:
  • Gutierrez-Lythgoe, Antonio
  • Molina, Jose Alberto

Abstract

The transport sector remains one of the main contributors to global GHG emissions, making the shift toward more sustainable mobility a key component of climate-mitigation strategies. While previous research has emphasized the role of infrastructure, technology, and behavioral change, less is known about how public attention toward sustainable transport evolves and diffuses across countries. This paper uses Google Trends data as a high-frequency indicator of public interest in sustainable mobility for 38 OECD countries from 2004 to 2025. To ensure comparability across time and space, we propose the construction of log-ratios between sustainable mobility and conventional car-related searches so that the measure is robust to changes in Google’s user base. We apply the Phillips and Sul convergence framework to test whether attention levels follow common long-run trajectories. Results show strong convergence in electric-vehicle attention, while hybrid- and public-transport interest remain fragmented. Validation analyses confirm that Google Trends indicators correlate with subsequent electric-vehicle adoption, underscoring their value as dynamic proxies for cultural and behavioral dimensions of sustainable mobility.

Suggested Citation

  • Gutierrez-Lythgoe, Antonio & Molina, Jose Alberto, 2025. "Tracking Public Interest in Sustainable Mobility with Google Trends," MPRA Paper 126877, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:126877
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/126877/1/MPRA_paper_126877.pdf
    File Function: original version
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jan Ditzen & Yiannis Karavias & Joakim Westerlund, 2025. "Testing and estimating structural breaks in time series and panel data in Stata," Stata Journal, StataCorp LLC, vol. 25(3), pages 526-560, September.
    2. Aldred, Rachel & Jungnickel, Katrina, 2014. "Why culture matters for transport policy: the case of cycling in the UK," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 78-87.
    3. Jan Ditzen, 2025. "xtbreak: Testing and estimating structural breaks in time-series and panel data in Stata," Italian Stata Users' Group Meetings 2025 03, Stata Users Group.
    4. Stephens-Davidowitz, Seth, 2014. "The cost of racial animus on a black candidate: Evidence using Google search data," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 26-40.
    5. Bernard, Andrew B. & Durlauf, Steven N., 1996. "Interpreting tests of the convergence hypothesis," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 71(1-2), pages 161-173.
    6. Bernard, Andrew B & Durlauf, Steven N, 1995. "Convergence in International Output," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 10(2), pages 97-108, April-Jun.
    7. Hyunyoung Choi & Hal Varian, 2012. "Predicting the Present with Google Trends," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 88(s1), pages 2-9, June.
    8. Cristina Pronello & Cristian Camusso, 2011. "Travellers’ profiles definition using statistical multivariate analysis of attitudinal variables," Post-Print halshs-01084027, HAL.
    9. Webb, Jeremy, 2019. "The future of transport: Literature review and overview," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 1-6.
    10. Jeremy Ginsberg & Matthew H. Mohebbi & Rajan S. Patel & Lynnette Brammer & Mark S. Smolinski & Larry Brilliant, 2009. "Detecting influenza epidemics using search engine query data," Nature, Nature, vol. 457(7232), pages 1012-1014, February.
    11. José Alberto Molina & J. Ignacio Giménez-Nadal & Jorge Velilla, 2020. "Sustainable Commuting: Results from a Social Approach and International Evidence on Carpooling," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-12, November.
    12. Bilgin, Mehmet Huseyin & Demir, Ender & Gozgor, Giray & Karabulut, Gokhan & Kaya, Huseyin, 2019. "A novel index of macroeconomic uncertainty for Turkey based on Google-Trends," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 184(C).
    13. Kerui Du, 2017. "Econometric convergence test and club clustering using Stata," Stata Journal, StataCorp LLC, vol. 17(4), pages 882-900, December.
    14. Pronello, Cristina & Camusso, Cristian, 2011. "Travellers’ profiles definition using statistical multivariate analysis of attitudinal variables," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 19(6), pages 1294-1308.
    15. Naccarato, Alessia & Falorsi, Stefano & Loriga, Silvia & Pierini, Andrea, 2018. "Combining official and Google Trends data to forecast the Italian youth unemployment rate," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 114-122.
    16. Ito, Nobuyuki & Takeuchi, Kenji & Managi, Shunsuke, 2019. "Do battery-switching systems accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles? A stated preference study," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 85-92.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. David H Chae & Sean Clouston & Mark L Hatzenbuehler & Michael R Kramer & Hannah L F Cooper & Sacoby M Wilson & Seth I Stephens-Davidowitz & Robert S Gold & Bruce G Link, 2015. "Association between an Internet-Based Measure of Area Racism and Black Mortality," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(4), pages 1-12, April.
    2. Kristina Gligorić & Arnaud Chiolero & Emre Kıcıman & Ryen W. White & Robert West, 2022. "Population-scale dietary interests during the COVID-19 pandemic," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-14, December.
    3. Abay,Kibrom A. & Hirfrfot,Kibrom Tafere & Woldemichael,Andinet, 2020. "Winners and Losers from COVID-19 : Global Evidence from Google Search," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9268, The World Bank.
    4. Diebold, Céline, 2025. "Using Google search data to examine factory automation and its effect on employment," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 1301-1328.
    5. Junzhao Ma & Dewi Tojib & Yelena Tsarenko, 2022. "Sex Robots: Are We Ready for Them? An Exploration of the Psychological Mechanisms Underlying People’s Receptiveness of Sex Robots," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 178(4), pages 1091-1107, July.
    6. Gutiérrez, Antonio, 2023. "La brecha de género en el emprendimiento y la cultura emprendedora: Evidencia con Google Trends [Entrepreneurship gender gap and entrepreneurial culture: Evidence from Google Trends]," MPRA Paper 115876, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Alka Obadić & Vladimir Arčabić & Lucija Rogić Dumančić, 2021. "Labor market institutions convergence in the European Union," EFZG Working Papers Series 2102, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb.
    8. Gutiérrez, Antonio, 2022. "Movilidad urbana y datos de alta frecuencia [Urban mobility and high frequency data]," MPRA Paper 114854, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Zhongchen Song & Tom Coupé, 2023. "Predicting Chinese consumption series with Baidu," Journal of Chinese Economic and Business Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(3), pages 429-463, July.
    10. Mateusz Tomal, 2024. "A review of Phillips‐Sul approach‐based club convergence tests," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(3), pages 899-930, July.
    11. Obadić, Alka & Arčabić, Vladimir & Rogić Dumančić, Lucija, 2023. "Club convergence of labor market institutions in the European Union," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 876-896.
    12. Fabo, B., 2017. "Towards an understanding of job matching using web data," Other publications TiSEM b8b877f2-ae6a-495f-b6cc-9, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    13. Haustein, Sonja & Nielsen, Thomas A. Sick, 2016. "European mobility cultures: A survey-based cluster analysis across 28 European countries," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 173-180.
    14. Vladimir Arcabic, 2018. "Fiscal convergence and sustainability in the European Union," Public Sector Economics, Institute of Public Finance, vol. 42(4), pages 353-380.
    15. Kacou Yves Thierry Kacou, 2022. "Interregional inequality in Africa, convergence, and multiple equilibria: Evidence from nighttime light data," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(2), pages 918-940, May.
    16. Lolić, Ivana & Matošec, Marina & Sorić, Petar, 2024. "DIY google trends indicators in social sciences: A methodological note," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    17. Ma, Junzhao & Seenivasan, Satheesh & Yan, Bingyu, 2020. "Media influences on consumption trends: Effects of the film Food, Inc. on organic food sales in the U.S," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 37(2), pages 320-335.
    18. van der Wielen, Wouter & Barrios, Salvador, 2021. "Economic sentiment during the COVID pandemic: Evidence from search behaviour in the EU," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    19. Massimiliano Affinito, 2011. "Convergence clubs, the euro-area rank and the relationship between banking and real convergence," Temi di discussione (Economic working papers) 809, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    20. Ishani Chaudhuri & Parthajit Kayal, 2022. "Predicting Power of Ticker Search Volume in Indian Stock Market," Working Papers 2022-214, Madras School of Economics,Chennai,India.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • C53 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric Modeling - - - Forecasting and Prediction Models; Simulation Methods
    • Q56 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environment and Development; Environment and Trade; Sustainability; Environmental Accounts and Accounting; Environmental Equity; Population Growth
    • R41 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Transportation Economics - - - Transportation: Demand, Supply, and Congestion; Travel Time; Safety and Accidents; Transportation Noise

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:126877. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Joachim Winter (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/vfmunde.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.