Car love stronger than climate awareness: Germans are attached to their own car

For millions of Germans, owning a car is an indispensable part of everyday life. According to an international survey by the market research institute Ipsos, 44% of German car owners cannot imagine life without a car. A further third believe that it is theoretically possible to do without a car, but feel that owning and using their own vehicle is simply more practical. Only 7 percent are seriously planning to live car-free in the future. The findings are based on a representative online survey in Germany, China and the USA of people who have purchased a new vehicle in the last ten years.

The three-country Ipsos Automotive Navigator 2025 study, which examines purchase intentions, e-mobility and retail issues, shows that almost half (46%) of consumers in Germany also expect to switch to e-cars in the next five years. In China, this optimism is far more pronounced at 85%, while 61% share this expectation in the USA. Environmental aspects such as lower pollution (35%) or the opportunity to charge at home (34%) are seen as the most important incentives in this country. However, practical concerns prevail: Almost one in two people are concerned about range (47%), four in ten about long charging times and inadequate infrastructure.

The question of Chinese e-cars is causing reluctance. Attractive arguments such as low prices (52 percent), strong battery performance (44 percent) and modern driving behavior (40 percent) are acknowledged, but fears about service availability (30 percent), data protection (26 percent) and resale value (23 percent) are dampening confidence. Only brands such as BYD or Polestar are familiar to a larger proportion of German drivers. However, if a Chinese brand were to produce in Europe in the future, this could be a door opener for 63% of respondents, according to the survey.

Despite all the e-openness, car buying remains conservative. Three quarters of respondents prefer owning to leasing, preferably as a new car. SUVs (26%) and saloons (22%) are more popular than small cars, and 77% are loyal to their current brand. Going to the dealer also remains the standard when buying a car - only a tenth of respondents would buy a car entirely online.

In terms of drive systems, petrol and diesel continue to lead the list of options: Six out of ten German car owners can imagine a classic model for their next purchase. Pure electric cars have 38 percent approval, and hybrid drives just under 40 percent. Although 52 percent consider a speed limit of 130 km/h to be effective in terms of environmental protection, as soon as it comes to higher prices or less comfort for the benefit of nature, the willingness drops noticeably. Only one in three is prepared to give up comfort for sustainability - in the USA it is almost half, in China even the majority. Once again, the German love of cars is proving stronger than the ecological conscience. (aum)