Between conviction and convenience: Shared social perspectives and shifting intentions among car commuters

• Eco-conscious, car-enthusiastic and pragmatic commuter perspectives were identified. • Prevalence and socio-demographic characteristics of the perspectives were analysed. • Eco-conscious commuters care about climate change but feel dependent on cars. • Car-enthusiastic commuters are unconcerned and resist mode shifts. • Pragmatists prioritise efficacy, cost and time over car and climate change concerns. Interventions to reduce car use and foster sustainable mobility remain largely unsuccessful as commuters resist mode shifts and oppose restrictive transport policies. To better understand this resistance, we combine a Q methodological analysis and a follow-up quantitative survey (Q2S, n = 947) to discern social perspectives, individual characteristics and mode shift intentions among Austrian car commuters. Findings reveal three distinct car commuter perspectives. Eco-conscious commuters are characterised by strong environmental consciousness and more negative attitudes towards car use but perceive a high degree of car dependence. Car-enthusiastic commuters enjoy the advantages of car use, disregard environmental impacts and resist mode shifts. Pragmatic commuters demonstrate neither high levels of environmental concern nor a high dependence on cars. Instead, their commuting mode choice seems highly influenced by cost-benefit-thinking. Quantitative survey results demonstrate a nearly equal number of supporters for the different perspectives. Support for the car-enthusiastic perspective correlates with positive car attitudes, a conservative political orientation, more car use, stronger car use habits, less concern about climate change, negative views about alternatives and lower mode shift intentions. In contrast, the rating of the eco-conscious perspective shows nearly opposite correlations. The correlations of the rating of the pragmatic perspective follow a similar pattern to those of the eco-conscious perspective but are generally weaker. Overall mode shift intentions are low, underlining the broader systemic issue of a deeply entrenched car-dominant mobility system. This research underscores the complex interplay between individual decision-making and shared meaning in occupational commuting.