Buying tip: electric or combustion engine?
THE GUARANTEE HELPS Anyone who wants to buy a car today is spoiled for choice: gasoline or diesel? Hybrid or plug-in? CNG (natural gas/biogas) or battery? Or even a vehicle with a fuel cell? The choice of the right drive technology keeps Swiss car owners busy. This has an impact on the new car trade. "The prevailing uncertainty regarding [...]
Swiss car owners are preoccupied with choosing the right drive technology. This has an impact on the new car trade.
"The prevailing uncertainty regarding the choice of drive is likely to dampen the buying mood or delay the purchase decision," writes BAK Economics in its current economic barometer for the Swiss auto industry.
Economists expect the number of newly registered vehicles to fall below the 300,000 mark in 2020 for the first time in ten years.
Technologies and their uses
With the question of drive technology, the demands on the consulting competence of the garage owners increase. They are familiar with the various technologies and their applications, and provide advice that is open to technology and customer-oriented.
For example, battery-powered vehicles are now a very ecological form of individual transportation, especially for shorter distances - provided that the electricity used comes from renewable sources.
Synthetic fuels as an alternative
Over long distances, however, the internal combustion engine will continue to play out its advantages in terms of range and refueling infrastructure. Here, too, there are already opportunities to travel with renewable energies and in a practically CO2-neutral manner. CNG vehicles, for example, can be fueled 100 percent with biogas.
Also a little-known alternative are synthetic fuels, which also come from non-fossil sources.
Markus Peter, Head of Technology & Environment at the Auto Gewerbe Verband Schweiz (AGVS): "As far as CO2 emissions are concerned, it is not so much the drive technology that is decisive, but much more the energy source used."
Drive technologies at a glance
The Association of Swiss Garagists is strongly committed to the training and further education of employees in the automotive industry. The AGVS has been successfully running courses for prospective automotive sales consultants for years.
Importers also ensure that their sales consultants keep up to date with the latest technology discussions. So that interested parties in Switzerland receive competent, fair advice and can keep track of the wide range of drive technologies.
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