In the context of the "Automobiles in all Their States" conference cycle, ESSCA welcomed Flavien Neuvy, Head of CETELEM's Automobile Observatory, to its Paris campus on 13 April 2010. He spoke on the topic of "Environmental Challenges and Automobile Consumption: Europeans and Clean Driving".
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Flavien Neuvy described the results of a study conducted in partnership with the BIPE* on European drivers and their behaviour in terms of clean cars. While manufacturers are announcing the soon-to-be-released electric vehicles and a change in motorisation seems inevitable, what do European drivers think?
After having presented alternative energy sources currently being developed, Flavien Neuvy stated that none to date have emerged as being immediately and sustainably usable.
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The Observatory foresees the European automotive "pool" including 80% diesel and gas motors by 2015. Hybrid vehicles would represent 13% of the total and electric vehicles only 4%.
While European drivers are for the most part aware of the pollution caused by automobiles, this awareness seems to be more acute among Spanish and Portuguese drivers, and less so in the United Kingdom and Germany. France is positioned somewhere in between.
While all favour greater government subsidies for purchases of less polluting vehicles and the development of public transportation (69% of French interviewees state they are ready to stop driving if public transportation improves), measures to limit automobile traffic are not welcome (driving tax in cities).
Finally, when queried on their next purchase, European drivers for the most part state they will ensure it is less polluting. However, still in the context of their next purchase, the focus in on fuel consumption as the dominating critera. Therefore, regardless of environmental considerations, the financial criterion remains a priority for most European purchasers interviewed.
To access the studies conducted by the Automobile Observatory: www.observatoirecetelem.com
Next meeting in the fall of 2010 for the second Distribution and Automobile Services conference.
*BIPE : a company specialised in economic studies and strategic consulting
