Purchase price is the highest barrier to switching to an electric car in European countries
According to a survey, the purchase price is the biggest obstacle to switching to an electric car in northern and western European countries. 21 percent of respondents cited the price as the most important reason for their hesitation, as the management consultancy Horvath announced on Thursday. "Range anxiety" or concerns about the charging infrastructure were cited much less frequently. Chinese manufacturers could benefit from this: 40 percent of respondents could imagine buying an imported car from China, particularly because of the attractive prices.
As expected, electric cars are most popular in the Nordic countries. According to the survey, three out of four drivers in Norway and Denmark are planning to buy an all-electric car for the first time or again when they make their next purchase. In Italy and the UK, the authors of the study observed large leaps in the popularity of electromobility, which they attribute to incentives or tax breaks announced shortly before the time of the survey.
According to Horvath, the popularity of e-cars has also risen sharply in France recently - almost one in four respondents are currently planning to buy one. In Germany, Austria and Switzerland, on the other hand, consumers are much more cautious. In the Netherlands, there has been a noticeable decline in willingness to buy due to the withdrawal of subsidies and a simultaneous tax increase for e-cars. However, the proportion of e-cars is already comparatively high there.
The purchase price hurdle may be easier to overcome in countries where electric cars are attractively priced, such as some in Asia or China, as suggested by the survey. The changeover from traditional cars to electric ones could be accelerated if the purchase price becomes more competitive. Regardless, the survey revealed that the purchase price remains a significant concern in various countries, including Europe, despite the growing popularity of electric cars.
Source: www.ntv.de
