It is not (only) a question of price. Faced with EPZs, the transition to electric or increasingly restrictive legislation, many drivers are “in the fog” regarding regulations and the future of the automobile. To such an extent that many “wait and see” do not dare to invest in a new car, the 2024 study by the Cetelem Observatory* reveals on Tuesday.
It is difficult to decide to buy a car for 6 out of 10 people
This annual study of motorist expectations and behavior, conducted in 16 countries*, highlights consumers’ hesitancy when purchasing a new vehicle. Overall, 41% of respondents do not plan to buy a car for a year and 36% do not plan to buy one.
Almost 6 in 10 people say it is difficult, or even very difficult, to decide to buy a car, especially in Turkey (77%), Portugal (73%) and France (64%).
“Even if they need to change their car, the consumer is a little lost. They don’t know if it is the right time, because they don’t know whether to buy an electric, a hybrid, a gasoline or a diesel,” summarizes the director of the Observatory, Flavien Neuvy.
In question? The “fog” that hangs over the regulations and the future of the different types of motorization, generated, according to Flavien Neuvy, by “the instability of public policies.”
“There are so many changes – information has been accumulated in a short time, sometimes with contradictory elements – that motorists are lost,” he explains.
In total, only one in two people knows, for example, that the sale of thermal vehicles will be prohibited in 2035 in the European Union. In France, 47% of respondents do not know that this concerns them.
The electrical paradox
This “confusion” also affects other regulations, such as low emission zones (ZFE). In total, only 58% of French people believe they have understood what automobile regulations prohibit. Added to this is the “doubt about the electric car” due to the drastic increase in electricity prices linked to the war in Ukraine, adds Flavien Neuvy.
“People are wondering if it’s really a good idea,” he says, while switching to electricity is necessary to limit global warming.
However, this edition of the Cetelem Observatory is “marked with a milestone”, because it is the first time that the electric car exceeds purchase intention, since one in three people wants to buy one.
But price is a huge obstacle for almost half of those surveyed, reinforced by doubts about range, recharging potential and vague regulations.
Although sales of new cars in September increased in Europe (+9.2% year-on-year) and in France (+10.7%), “all these doubts generate skepticism and an expectant attitude,” warns Flavien Neuvy for the future.
“It is up to public authorities to adopt a clear and stable line, without delay, to facilitate the energy transition in the automotive world,” the study states.
*This survey was conducted online from June 28 to July 17 by C-Ways, among 15,000 people aged 18 to 65, using the quota method. 3,000 interviews were carried out in France and 800 in each of the other 15 countries (Germany, Austria, Belgium, China, Spain, United States, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Norway, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, United Kingdom and Turkey) .
Source: BFM TV
