Young people refuse to buy electric cars
According to data from RACE Driver Observatory’s first survey, on ‘Intention to purchase and new forms of mobility’, which carried out over 1000 interviews with Spanish motorists
- 75 percent of drivers aged between 18 and 24 who are considering buying a car in 2020 prefer traditional combustion methods. None of them would buy an electric vehicle, and 11% would go for a hybrid
- Nine out of ten drivers say that new personal mobility vehicles should be governed by regulations, in particular with regards to the use of compulsory helmets and insurance
Real Automóvil Club de España – RACE presents its Driver Observatory, which consists of a monthly study on topics of interest to motorists. In this initial phase, called ‘Purchase intention and new forms of mobility’, the Club has carried out more than a thousand interviews in order to discover motorists’ purchase intentions in 2020, and find out which measures should be implemented for new personal mobility vehicles.
More than one in five respondents are considering buying a new vehicle this year. More than half of them (57.1%) prefer traditional diesel and petrol engines. Hybrid vehicles are the first choice for almost 25%, while electric (7.3%) and gas (LPG/CNG) together make up less than 10%.
The survey also highlights the variety found when it comes to choosing a new or pre-owned vehicle, since 38% prefer a new car, which is practically the same percentage as those who will buy a second hand or used car (29%), and those who are unsure and will study both options (33.5%).
Contrary to popular opinion, young people are the least likely to buy an electric vehicle, especially in the 18-25 age group, where the presence of electric vehicles is non-existent. Paradoxically, the two oldest age groups, probably with greater purchasing power (over 50s), are most likely to consider buying an electric vehicle.
In the general section, it should be noted that more than 95% of drivers surveyed own their vehicle, 3% have a company car, 1.5% use a lease deal, and 0.8% have a driving licence but no vehicle.
With regard to age, 36.3% own a car that is more than ten years old, 28.3% between 6 and 10 years old, 28.8% between 1 and 5 years old, and only 6.6% bought their vehicle less than a year ago.
Subsidies to renew vehicle stock, whether new or used cars
Nine out of ten respondents called for subsidies to upgrade vehicles that are more than 10 years old, and 82% would consider buying a pre-owned car if this sector also received financial support.
73% of all drivers use their vehicle to get to work
Vehicles are used mainly for commuting (73%), ahead of other everyday options such as leisure (60%), shopping (53%) and, to a lesser extent, the school run (17.4%) or attending class (7%).
Among those who work, almost 78% use the car as their first option for commuting, which contrasts with those who use new personal mobility vehicles (scooter or bicycle), which make up nearly 1% of the total.
Insurance and helmet for scooters and bicycles
Moreover, Spanish drivers have a clear position on personal mobility vehicles (PMV) such as scooters and bicycles. Less than one in four (24.1%) would consider using these forms of transport instead of the car, and almost nine out of ten (89.5%) think that they should be governed by regulations, as is the case with cars, motorcycles, etc.
Nearly 83% of those surveyed also said that users of such vehicles should wear helmets, 80% stated they should have to take out accident insurance, and nearly seven in ten wanted compulsory use of high-vis vests.
Communication Department:
RACE. Departamento de Comunicación
comunicacion@race.es
