Germany: Not without my car

Reading the news, one might think that the days of the car are numbered. Everyone is talking about electric cars, it seems, but do buyers really want to make such a massive switch to electromobility? The aim of the traffic light coalition is to promote cycling, buses and trains so that fewer and fewer people can afford a car and prefer to switch to public transport. The DAT study shows what customers really think about this.

Electric cars actually only play a minor role.  After all, 60 percent at least considered buying a car with an alternative drive last year, which is an increase of more than 20 percent compared to the previous year. However, only 43 percent bought a car with an alternative drive. But even this is not the natural trend, because new purchases are still massively supported by subsidies. It is questionable whether the trend will continue even if the subsidies are discontinued. The study also found that 31 percent of drivers reject e-cars outright. Of the 46 percent who could imagine switching, however, almost 80 percent still want to wait at least three years before buying.

Politicians would prefer to see Germans switch massively to bicycles and trains. Unfortunately, the opposite is the case. Almost 80 percent do not want to do without their own car at all. Just 20 percent of Germans do not need a car. And this despite the fact that the prices for new cars are skyrocketing.  The study also shows that environmental zones or car-free zones cannot be implemented as easily as politicians imagine. First, people need to change their mindsets before they voluntarily switch to public transport. Secondly, of course, the range of public transport services must be expanded in order to actually offer convincing alternatives. Only then can there really be a mobility turnaround.