While more and more municipalities are pushing back the car and primarily relying on local public transport, the participants in the study see it very differently and prefer the car – especially if it is electrically powered. In the study commissioned by HUK-Coburg, almost 4,200 people aged 16 and over from all 16 federal states were asked about the mobility of the future. dr Jörg Rheinländer, board member at HUK-Coburg: “For the majority of Germans, simply pushing back the car is not a goal-oriented strategy for the future – not even in the cities. Switching to electric or other CO is preferred2-free drives combined with the demand for a significant cost reduction for renewable energies.”
Fear of switching to e-mobility due to rising electricity prices
One thing gives the respondents a headache – the rising energy and electricity costs, because according to the study, Germans see the desire for individually and flexibly usable means of transport as being at serious risk from rising costs. Every second respondent sees the greatest danger in future mobility concepts in the fact that they continue to increase the cost of mobility (48 percent). Every third respondent believes that rising electricity prices and a shortage of electricity are not given enough attention when switching to electromobility (34 percent).
Increased concern about “too strong public paternalism”
On the other hand, at 18 percent, only half as many are worried about insufficient environmental protection. Remarkable: that is a third less than in the previous year (27 percent). Far ahead are concerns about “excessive public paternalism” (23 percent), “one-sided research only in predetermined directions” and the “loss of individuality and self-determination when choosing means of transport” (22 percent each).
One in five sees e-cars as the ideal means of transport for the future
In principle, however, the respondents did not speak out against an ecological turnaround in transport. Their main desire for affordable or falling mobility costs (49 and 37 percent, respectively) is followed in third place by the desire for CO2-Freedom in transport (26 percent). The electric car as a means of transportation is judged by far the most positive. One in five respondents already sees it as the ideal means of transportation for the future.
That is around twice as many as those who consider the bus or S-Bahn to be ideal. Here the approval ratings are stagnating compared to today. The train is also clearly overtaken by the electric car in the survey. In the future, only one pure electric car will be an option for every fifth respondent, and for every fourth person under the age of 40. In the city-state of Berlin, as many as 28 percent (previous year: 19 percent) are focusing on future purchases with an electric drive. However, in more than every third case where respondents postponed a car purchase in the past twelve months due to long delivery times, it was an electric car.
No positive mobility development in the last five years
It is striking that the Germans have given mobility development the worst possible report in the last five years. Whether in terms of costs, speed, flexibility, hygiene, organisability and also CO2-Freedom: In none of the ten areas surveyed by the HUK study is a majority finding a development for the better. The development of costs and affordability is viewed most negatively for all population groups. The conclusion of the over 40-year-olds is particularly harsh. At least those under 40 see no deterioration in the ability to organize and the speed of mobility.
Older people, on the other hand, also see clearly negative tendencies in these two areas. “When developing new mobility concepts, citizens want those responsible to be open-minded when it comes to new solutions and, above all, to take individual needs into account,” says Dr. Jörg Rheinländer, “that applies in particular to the older ones. The younger ones are more open.”
Author: Patrick Solberg; press-inform
