Electric cars are hardly an issue for private buyers

Electric cars are hardly an issue for private buyers

The latest VAV living barometer survey clearly shows that barriers to switching to electric cars still exist. 58 percent of the car owners surveyed living in Austria are put off by high acquisition and operating costs. 51 percent cited a lack of comprehensive charging infrastructure as the main obstacle, 43 percent cited the lack of a reliable charging option at their place of residence and 28 percent cited the lack of charging options at their place of work as the reason for the rejection. A fundamental preference for conventional drives prevents 37 percent from rethinking. Sven Rabe, CEO of VAV Versicherung: "With good reason, the vast majority of electric cars registered in Austria are company cars. In order to make electric mobility attractive for private individuals, there is a lack of infrastructure and cost transparency. There are still enormous challenges for the success of the mobility transition."

Residents of cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants are particularly cost-sensitive. Here, costs are disproportionately high, at 71 percent. At the same time, the preference for conventional drives is weakest in larger cities at 26 percent. For people who are not employed (64 percent), women and pensioners (61 percent each), the costs of electromobility are also an important argument.

At 46 percent, men mention the lack of charging infrastructure much more often than women, who only cite this as the most important motive at 39 percent. At 43 percent, significantly more men than women (31 percent) prefer a conventional drive.

Electric cars are still not a big issue for private buyers. When asked about imminent purchases, only three percent said they would choose an electric vehicle. The previous year's survey result was also three percent. Homeowners are four times more likely to plan to purchase an electric car than renters. This gap has increased over the course of the year. Last year the factor was 2.5. Rabe: “This circumstance is due to the fact that homeowners can more easily get their own and therefore reliable charging station.”

The question about possible purchasing intentions brought a slight change. In the current study, 20 percent answered yes. Last year it was 17 percent. According to the survey, the number of private owners of electric cars has doubled every year, although from a low level. It rose from one to two percent.

However, slightly fewer people are planning to purchase an e-bike than last year. Two to three percent definitely want to buy, 12 to 14 percent will possibly travel electrically on two wheels.