Future owners of an electric car are primarily motivated by fuel savings, according to an international study by Deloitte, Key Automotive Consumer Trends. The first lesson to be drawn from this is therefore that motorists place at the top of their criteria for choosing an electric car its lower cost of use compared to fuel. It is only in China, the world’s largest electric market, that motorists first choose these new engines for the driving experience. The concern to limit global warming, purchase subsidies and the prospect of savings on maintenance come next.
Interest in electric vehicles has increased slightly in 2022 (8% of purchase intentions in France), but a large majority of motorists are still considering a gasoline, diesel or hybrid engine for their next vehicle, new or second hand. Except in China where electrics already represent 27% of purchase intentions.
Most potential buyers of electric cars are mainly concerned about charging time, range and prices which remain high.
While car prices continue to climb, almost a third of French people do not intend to invest more than €15,000 in their next vehicle. Another big third is planning to buy it between €15 and €30,000.
The quality of the product at the top of the criteria
“What matters, moreover, is durability, reliability, qualityunderlines the expert of Deloitte, Guillaume Crunelle. You start to get the idea that you are going to buy an expensive vehicle and expect it to last longer.”
Among the French people surveyed, 74% of those who drive a second-hand car intend to buy one, firstly for reasons of means and 20% of new car owners are also thinking of an opportunity for the next one.
Buyers of a new car also seem to have resigned themselves to the logistical difficulties of the automotive industry: 65% of French people say they are ready to wait between two weeks and three months before receiving their new vehicle, even if only 11 % say they are ready to wait longer.
Globally, nearly half of consumers in the United States, China and Southeast Asia find this delay acceptable.
Methodology: this survey was conducted online between September and October 2022 among more than 26,000 people in 24 countries, including 1,006 in France.