The insurer Allianz Direct wanted to know what drivers really want. And a representative survey that has now been presented came to surprising results: they would prefer a petrol engine. A proud 43 percent of the 800 respondents stated that they preferred this classic drive. 27 percent would choose a hybrid, i.e. a combustion engine with electrification, while only 20 percent would choose a fully electric car. The reputation of the economical diesel, which has long been clean, seems to have been ruined: Only 10 percent of all potential buyers still want a diesel. According to the study, the most popular car overall is a small car from the VW brand – with a petrol engine.
The more budget is available, the better it may be electric. In the lowest price ranges, only 25 percent value a hybrid or even electric drive, while a proud 78 percent of buyers with a budget of over 100,000 euros like to drive up electrified. And the willingness to try an autonomous vehicle is also higher in the upper price range. Overall, however, only 21 percent of all buyers would like to drive autonomously. 36 percent categorically reject the approach, 43 percent are still undecided.
The preferences broken down by age group are amazing in times of climate kids being hyped by the media. The youngest buyers, in the 18 to 24 age group, are the least willing to buy an electric or hybrid vehicle, at one third. On the other hand, driving pleasure is higher in relation to benefit than in any other age cohort, namely at an impressive 47 percent. This value drops to just 29 percent for the oldest drivers surveyed (55 to 65 years of age). No wonder that among the boomers, on the other hand, the proportion of SUV fans is highest, and the lowest among young customers. Is this a trend reversal?
Incidentally, the decisive factor when making a purchase is the price (49 percent), followed by fuel consumption (36 percent). Of the 14 aspects listed, “environment and sustainability” ranks far behind with 14 percent, followed only by the country of production (4 percent) and – self-appointed experts must now be strong – the opinion of friends and acquaintances (2 percent). Favorite color is black (36 percent), the most important extra is air conditioning (56 percent). Only 9 percent attach importance to Internet access in the car – a topic that has perhaps been talked regarding a little too much in recent years.
And the study clears up another misconception: the vast majority of customers prefer to buy their car from new car dealers (57 percent), followed by used car dealers (21 percent). A total of 12 percent would like to buy from online retailers. (aum/jm)
