Climate concerns well down list for motorists in market for new car

Most motorists don’t really prioritise the environment when buying a new car.

They reckon there are more important matters to take into consideration when it comes to purchasing a vehicle.

This emerges from a study heavily aligned with the positive elements of fully electric cars (battery electric vehicles or BEVs) as well as hybrids.

However, the survey showed large numbers of people do care about the environment and will take it into account when choosing their next car.

But the survey, conducted in October by 3Gem on behalf of Toyota Ireland in which 750 drivers participated, discovered that relatively few people had insisted on cars that are perceived to be more benign to the environment.

The survey found that when it comes to buying a car the top three considerations for Irish drivers are:

• Price (60pc).

• Fuel efficiency (48pc).

• The size of the car – it is number one for 32pc of potential buyers.

In a comment on the survey, Toyota said: “Surprisingly, given the current climate situation, only 14pc chose environmental impact as their top (priority).”

That means that how the car looks (22pc surveyed put it first), engine size (16pc put it first) and driving comfort (15pc) all rank higher up the scale of priorities than the 14pc putting the environment as their first “must have”.

The emergence of such priorities resonates more given that the same survey found that 29pc of those who took part plan to move to an electric or electrified (hybrid) car when they next buy.

As many as 29pc are expecting to buy a hybrid next, with 12pc going for a fully electric car (BEV), according to the survey.

A sizeable number (22pc) will opt for a petrol-powered car.

Diesel, so much in the crosshairs of environmentalists and health experts in recent years, will still be the top choice of 15pc.

It isn’t that long ago that diesel accounted for several times that percentage of new-car sales.

Incidentally, 71pc underestimated the number of diesel cars that are still on our roads.

According to figures obtained from car-history resource Cartell.ie and quoted in the new report, there are around 1.4 million of them.

For all that, a significant one-in-five drivers (19pc) have yet to make up their mind about what their next move will be.

As far as the “don’t knows” are concerned, there are reservations about the implications of going for a fully electric vehicle.

The top concerns are price (60pc) – this is a constant refrain from other studies and from motorists generally.

So is the availability of charging points.

The survey found 47pc of the “don’t knows” had serious concerns. Range anxiety would pose a serious question for 44pc of potential drivers of a BEV especially when driving long distances (44pc).

Nearly two-in-five (37pc) would be deterred by perceived lengthy charge times – this points to a general complaint that there are not enough fast chargers even at designated hubs.

Of the majority planning to buy a conventional hybrid, 58pc are doing so because they believe there will be lower running costs as opposed to “pure” internal combustion engines (ICEs).

Nearly three-in-five think hybrids are better for the environment (cynics take note) while 43pc felt they will save money on fuel and motor tax in the long run.

The constant development of more efficient BEV battery packs, wider use of light-weight materials and more efficient drivetrains will reduce some, if not all, of those concerns.

Toyota is among a number of automakers developing solid-state battery technology.

That is expected to manifest in cars on the road by 2027/2028.

Such technology will ultimately mean ranges will be dramatically expanded while a single charge from zero to 80pc will take just 10 minutes.

Maybe the cynics will be proved wrong next time around.