Ostfildern (7. September 2017) - The Deutsche Automobil Treuhand GmbH (DAT) has gone through its database to put together 10 facts about cars with alternative drives. These are based on extensive data of automobile manufacturers and importers, KBA numbers, data from the automobile trade and survey results from the DAT-Report and the DAT-Dieselbarometer.
1) The German market offers a wide variety of cars with alternative drives
An evaluation of the DAT automobile database has shown that, disregarding trim levels and performance variants, there are currently over 350 car model series available as new cars, 108 of which feature alternative drives (hybrid- electric- or natural gas drives).
2) The entry-level price for a new car with an alternative drive begins at 10,000€
With 10,000€, the Dacia Sandero is currently the cheapest vehicle with an alternative drive. The cheapest battery-driven vehicle is the Citroen Berlingo, starting at 18.671€ (plus additional costs for the battery itself). The most popular SUVs come in between 14,500€ for the Dacia Duster, with a natural gas drive, and 93,010€ for the Tesla Model X. The environmental bonus from the manufacturers and the state subsidies are not included.
3) Cars with alternative drives continue to be purchased in small quantities
According to the KBA, only 60.725 cars with alternative drives were newly registered in the first 7 months of 2017. This accounts for only 3% of the entire market. The used-car sales are similar: 2 % (72.482 vehicles) of title transfers were for cars with alternative drives, with natural gas-driven vehicles accounting for the largest part of this group.
4) Hybrid vehicles are more popular than vehicles powered solely by battery or natural gas
When asked for their preferred drive for their next purchased vehicle, 21% of consumers replied with "hybrid". Gas- or electric vehicles each account for 3% of wishes. However, this intention of purchase can have changed by the time of acquisition.
5) Women prefer electric vehicles, while men prefer hybrid vehicles
Upon questioning for the DAT-Report for their preferred drive if there were no more gasoline or diesel vehicles, 51% of female new car buyers and 52% of female used car buyers replied with "electric drive." Amongst men, these numbers were only at 23% and 34%. They're more likely to lean towards hybrid vehicles, even up to 77% amongst new car buyers.
6) The place of living does not have a sizable effect on the choice of alternative drive
New car buyers in cities with less than 20,000 residents make the same choices when it comes to the selection of alternative drives as those in cities with over 500,000 residents. 52% would choose a hybrid vehicle, if there were no more gasoline or diesel powered cars. Electric vehicles would be the drive of choice for 48% of big city residents, and 46% of small-town residents.
7) The bonus for electric vehicles hasn't had a big impact
Since its introduction in May 2016, the bonus for electric vehicles hasn't lead buyers to spend more time on the topic of alternative drives. The new car buyers questioned for the DAT Report confirmed this to 13%, used car buyers only to 6%. According to the federal office of Economics and Export Control (BAFA), 17,606 requests for purely battery-driven vehicle, 12,424 for plug-in hybrids and four for fuel cell vehicles were submitted.
8) Alternative drives remain scarce in company fleets
According to the DAT Dieselbarometer of July 2017, alternative drives make up only 2% of the average company fleet (1% electric drive, 1% natural gas drive). 55% of fleet managers are planning to expand alternative drives in the fleet.
9) The need for information at dealerships regarding alternative drives has lightly decreased
In the DAT Dieselbarometer July 2017, 31% of dealerships reported an increase in inquiries about alternative drives. Two months ago, this figure was at 37%. Surveys in the next few months will show if this is simply a fluctuating figure, or if it is proof of more knowledgeable customers when it comes to this topic.
10) Used gasoline-driven cars are sold quicker than comparable used cars with alternative drives
In 2017, the average used electric or hybrid vehicle could not be sold for 121 days. Comparable gasoline-driven cars stand for 85 days before they are purchased, diesels 95 days.
Download all charts (German only) as a pdf here