The iconic Cozy Coupe ride-on car from Little Tikes has had an 'electric' makeover - as a survey finds that more than half of children want an electric car when they grow up.
The original Little Tikes Cozy Coupe has been around since 1979, and is the UK’s best-selling ride-on toy car. Now, as part of an initiative to get families thinking about making the switch to an electric vehicle, LV= General Insurance and ElectriX have joined forces with Little Tikes to give the iconic children’s toy car a one-off electric makeover, swapping the classic toy's petrol cap for a realistic-looking electric socket and charger. It comes on the back of a survey of 800 kids aged six to 12 years old which revealed that more than half are worried about climate change.
The research also reveals that:
- 44% of kids would like their parents to trade their gas guzzler for an electric car
- 25% of kids would like to see an increase in EVs on the road
- 52% of kids have told off their mum, dad or guardian for doing something that wasn’t helpful to the planet
"The Cozy Coupe has been an integral part of so many of our lives since its launch in 1979, so we’re delighted to announce our collaborative project with LV=, with the concept of the first-ever one-off electric makeover for the Cozy Coupe," said Alaina Cornish, Senior Brand Manager at Little Tikes UK.
"It’s the same iconic outdoor toy, brought forward with an electric charging point, socket, and an all-electric dashboard. We’re hopeful the one-off iteration will spark conversations about the importance of electric vehicles for the future.”
According to the survey, kids want to save the planet by encouraging people to eat more carrots to improve night vision and reduce the use of lights, whilst others would be happy to do their civic duty and reduce water use – by stopping brushing their teeth. There were even suggestions about sending astronauts to the sun to bring back light to save on energy costs, banning homework to save paper, replacing cars with kangaroos, and powering cars with alternative fuels such as custard.
Researchers also explored children’s feelings about climate change, finding 67% have tried convincing their parents to be more eco-friendly, and more than half (58%) of kids believe grown-ups should be doing more to help the planet.
More than half of the children surveyed said they had told off their mum, dad, or guardian for doing something that wasn’t helpful to the planet with 32% expressing concern about driving a petrol or diesel car instead of something more environmentally friendly. But the top reason parents got a telling-off from the kids was for buying new clothes when they’ve got a wardrobe full already (32%).
In 2016, Little Tikes launched the Go Green Cozy Coupe Dino, which is constructed from recycled plastic and packaged in recycled materials to help minimise environmental impact.
To continue inspiring families to make the leap, LV=, one of the largest insurers of electric cars in the UK, has also launched a one-stop shop offering drivers everything they need to get on the road with an electric car – from leasing a vehicle, to buying a home charger and getting electric car insurance.
Kids' top suggestions for combatting climate change:
- Replace all petrol cars with electric cars
- Fix things instead of replacing them with something new
- Turn off the tap while brushing my teeth
- Create recycling whirlpools in the sea to get rid of plastic pollution
- Use items for crafts and activities e.g., turn a yoghurt pot into a plant pot
- Ban homework because it uses too much paper
- Eat more carrots so we can see in the dark and don’t have to use lights
- Turn all the plastic cups into a big play area
- Car powered by alternative fuels such as custard
- Send astronauts to the sun to bring back light to save on energy costs
- Trampolines to bounce your way around
- Stop brushing teeth because it uses too much water
- Cook meals for the sea creatures
- Stop eating fish and meat
- Ride kangaroos around instead of cars
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