Lack of infrastructure and rising costs are slowing the ramp-up of pure electric cars. Interest in hybrid cars is greater than in electric cars. If e-fuels were available, they would be an option for many consumers.
The transformation toward electromobility is taking place at different speeds in the various markets. Although the environmental bonus for hybrid vehicles expired at the beginning of the year, more people would prefer such a vehicle to a pure electric car in the future.
Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH
A recent consumer survey by consultancy Deloitte found that the switch to electric cars is being held back by rising costs and a lack of infrastructure. Despite a growing choice of models, only 16% of respondents would choose a purely electric car for their next car purchase, according to the Deloitte experts. At the end of 2021, the share was 15%. Although the environmental bonus for hybrid vehicles has now expired, the proportion of respondents who would opt for this drive type is significantly higher: for plug-in and hybrid vehicles, the total is 27 %.
E-fuels would be an option for many consumers
Lower costs for electricity and the environmental bonus are decisive arguments for buying an e-car in Germany, he said. "Now electricity costs are skyrocketing, while the subsidy is gradually being cut back and will even expire in 2025. This will lead to fewer electric cars being sold in the future. We will miss the 15 million target for 2030 if the government and companies do not take countermeasures with targeted measures," warns Dr. Harald Proff, global sector leader for the automotive sector at Deloitte.
For many consumers, e-fuels would also be an option. Thus, 49 % of those interested in buying an electrified car would reconsider their decision to buy such a vehicle and opt for a combustion engine powered by environmentally friendly e-fuels if such a fuel were available. 36% would have answered "maybe" to this question.
Consumers concerned about range
German consumers cited lower fuel costs as the most important argument for buying an e-car, followed by concerns about climate change and, finally, government subsidy programs. Range, on the other hand, is the biggest concern for respondents in Germany. At 57%, it was mentioned most frequently. Expectations of range are also high: for a positive purchase decision, almost half of respondents expect a range of 400 to 599 km. For 30%, they should be able to drive 600 km or more on a full battery.
Other factors affecting consumer interest are the lack of public charging infrastructure (47 %), charging time and the absence of charging facilities at home (45 % each).