Buying an e-car: Opinions differ on the subject
MOBILITY STACHO A study by Axa on electromobility shows that while more than half of the Swiss can imagine purchasing an electric car, at the same time almost 30 percent rule this out in principle.
With the Mobility Speedometer 2023, Axa investigated the attitude of Swiss motorists toward electromobility. The different attitudes can be explained in particular by social, economic and political factors that accelerate or slow down the changeover.
More than a mere commodity
For 71 percent of the Swiss population, owning their own car is important. This is the result of a survey conducted by the Sotomo research institute on behalf of Axa Insurance. The car is far more than just a commodity, as two-thirds of those surveyed associate driving with independence and freedom. Fifty-six percent of the Swiss can imagine buying an electric car, including many people with a left-green affinity. For 29 percent, the e-car is not an option. This group tends to include people who belong to the right-wing-bourgeois camp.
Low problem perception
Michael Hermann, head of Sotomo: "The Swiss estimate that it will take around another 16 years before electric cars are in the majority on our roads - four years after the ban on internal combustion vehicles decided by the EU. This is also related to the low perception of the problem. Despite the heated climate debate, only 28 percent of respondents associate driving with environmental pollution. Fun is even slightly more frequently associated with it."
Doubts about sustainability
The majority of the population still tends to see more disadvantages than advantages in electromobility. The most frequently cited disadvantages are the environmental impact of battery production, the high purchase price and battery recycling. Apparently, the battery issue cancels out the advantages of lower emissions to a good extent. It is noteworthy that only around ten percent of respondents believe that the disadvantages relating to batteries will no longer exist in ten years' time. The low level of convenience during charging is also seen as problematic by the population.
