Market: Eco cars increasingly rolling in the trend
THAT'S THE CHANGE Demand for cars with alternative drive systems has doubled since 2016 and accounts for over seven percent of all searches on autoscout24.ch. This is shown by a recent evaluation of the largest and most visited online marketplace for vehicles in Switzerland. This means that hybrid and electric cars are more popular with Mr. and Mrs. Swiss than ever [...]
This is shown by a current evaluation of the largest and most visited online marketplace for vehicles in Switzerland. This means that hybrid and electric cars are more popular than ever with Mr. and Mrs. Swiss.
From short-term hype to sustainable trend
Since the beginning of 2016, demand for cars with alternative drive systems on autoscout24.ch has risen from around three percent to over seven percent in the past month of June, more than doubling. Christoph Aebi, Director AutoScout24: "Our statistics show a continuous increase in searches for eco-cars over a period of more than two years. This means that it is not just a short-term hype, but a trend that will continue in the future."
Gasoline vehicles have gained in popularity
Hybrid vehicles were particularly popular with drivers (currently already accounting for 4.2 percent of all search queries), followed by electric cars (1.9 percent). Gas, bioethanol and hydrogen engines together accounted for around 1.2 percent of search queries last June.
In the case of gasoline and diesel vehicles, demand has shifted in favor of gasoline vehicles since the middle of last year. While the proportion of searches for diesel vehicles on autoscout24.ch was still just under 60 percent in June 2017, this figure fell to around 47 percent last month. And the proportion of searches on autoscout24.ch that explicitly asked for a gasoline-powered vehicle rose from 36.4 percent a year ago to 45.6 percent last June.
Diesel engines come with more efficient models
Christoph Aebi: "The regular headlines about the future of diesel engines and the threat of driving bans are causing uncertainty among consumers. This is reflected in search queries." Despite all the prophecies of doom, however, the diesel is by no means as bad as its reputation and manufacturers and importers are working flat out on more efficient models.
