Even in times of climate change, the car is important for Austrians: for 62 percent, the car has a high or very high value. This is a central finding of a survey carried out by the Gallup Institute on behalf of Wiener-Städtische-Versicherung. 1000 Austrians were surveyed.
The figure is also 62 percent among 17 to 30 year olds. 40 percent of young people say that the importance of the car has recently increased for them: “As expected, the car is still the number one means of transport, especially in rural regions,” said board director Doris Wendler yesterday when presenting the figures.
81 percent of those who use a car do so at least several times a week. However, 21 percent plan to change their mobility behavior within the next twelve months: Four out of ten respondents want to use public transport, 38 percent want to walk more. Women here are more likely to show efforts to change their behavior.
The majority drive petrol engines
When it comes to driving, Austrians continue to follow the traditional tradition: 55 percent of private car owners drive a gasoline engine and 43 percent drive a car with a diesel engine. The rest comes from hybrid or electric motors. If they were to buy a new car, a third would choose a petrol car and a fifth would choose an electric or hybrid car. When buying an electric car, the price is the decisive criterion: almost every second person would pay a maximum of 20,000 euros, more than a third see 30,000 euros as the limit. “E-cars will only really take off when the purchase costs fall,” says Wendler. The insufficient range, the lack of charging infrastructure, the duration of the charging process and the lifespan of the battery are also issues.
For more than 90 percent, the actions of climate activists do not lead to any change in mobility behavior. Three quarters perceive the measures as negative.
