The automotive industry is facing a profound upheaval. When it comes to buying a car, Germans now attach more importance to integrated navigation services, driving assistance systems or digital services based on vehicle data, such as repair instructions, than to engine performance or brand.
In addition, especially for the vast majority of younger people, owning a car is no longer a status symbol; instead, climate protection plays an important role in the choice of means of transport. And when it comes to the future topics of electric cars and autonomous driving, german citizens currently see german manufacturers lagging behind. That is the result of a representative survey of 1.004 german citizens surveyed today on behalf of the digital association bitkom in the run-up to the international motor show (iAA) in frankfurt (12. By 22. September) was presented.
"a car is still an outstanding feat of engineering, even though software already plays a central role. In the future, this software will be even more visible to passengers. And they want to use the same services in their cars as they do at home," said bitkom president achim berg. "the trend toward electric cars is also leading to a significant lowering of market entry barriers. An electric car is much easier to design than a vehicle with an internal combustion engine, powertrain and exhaust system. As a result, new players from abroad and also from the digital industry are becoming serious competitors for the established providers."46 percent of german citizens see the auto industry challenged by the spread of electric cars, 31 percent by the trend toward autonomous driving.
Car-buying criteria: digital rather than lots of horsepower
the most important criterion for german citizens when buying a car is whether the new vehicle offers integrated navigation services (93 percent). This puts it ahead of purchase price (91 percent), environmental characteristics such as fuel consumption (91 percent), general comfort (88 percent) and type of drive (84 percent). Driving assistance systems such as lane departure warning or automatic parking (80 percent) are just ahead of design (79 percent). And services based on vehicle data (77 percent), which provide information on necessary repairs, are more important than engine performance (70 percent) or the manufacturer’s commitment to climate protection (67 percent). Just as important as the brand (62 percent) is the compatibility of the cockpit with their own smartphone (62 percent). A majority also considers it important to offer new services based on car-to-car communication (56 percent), which can be used, for example, to warn vehicles driving ahead of obstacles on the road, and in-car Internet access (51 percent), e.g. for the entertainment system.
"even though today’s vehicles are full of electronics, we are still at the beginning of the digitalization of the automobile. The next step will be when vehicles communicate with each other and with road infrastructure such as traffic lights," says Berg.
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Owning a car is becoming less important
4 out of 10 german citizens (40 percent) say that for them personally, the car will become much less important in the future compared to other means of transport. And for 6 out of 10 (62 percent), owning a car is not a status symbol. There are significant differences between the age groups. While only 58 percent of those over 65 agree with this statement, 70 percent of 16 to 29 year-olds do.
But these are not the only challenges for the german automotive industry. Three quarters (72 percent) say that climate protection plays a very important role for them when choosing a means of transport. 64 percent see environmental and climate protection (64 percent) as a challenge for manufacturers, almost one in two (48 percent) the discussion about car-free city centers. Trade wars (46 percent), car sharing (18 percent), ridesharing (13 percent) and new means of transport such as e-scooters (6 percent) are also seen as challenges.
e-cars are fundamentally changing the market
For the automotive market, German citizens see significant shifts in the balance of power, particularly as a result of e-cars. Half of the respondents (52 percent) think that the german car industry is missing the turn towards electric cars and other renewable forms of propulsion (52 percent). A similar number are certain that by 2030, the market shares of today’s well-known manufacturers will have shifted massively as a result of electric cars (48 percent). And 46 percent assume that by 2030 car manufacturers that are still successful today will have disappeared from the market because they offered electric cars too late or not at all. Against this backdrop, two-thirds of german citizens see new car manufacturers from china (68 percent) as a challenge for the german automotive industry.
Opinions differ on the question of a sales ban on cars with internal combustion engines. Around one in four (23 percent) would be in favor of a ban from 2030 at the latest. But almost as many (20 percent) reject a ban in principle.
The electric car is considered quiet and environmentally friendly – but there are few charging stations
Currently, Germans are still divided on the question of buying an electric car. 47 percent can imagine buying one, but 46 percent are not considering it. According to the respondents, the main arguments against electric cars are their short range (68 percent), too few charging stations (67 percent) and uncertainty about whether the battery can be recharged when traveling abroad (64 percent). E-cars are also considered to be too expensive (63 percent), and people complain that the warranty for the batteries is too short (59 percent) and that charging times are too long (56 percent). These are followed at a distance by a lack of model choice (29 percent), non-transparent prices at public charging stations (25 percent) and the concern that driving pleasure will be lost (22 percent). Only 13 percent cite a lack of availability and excessively long delivery times as disadvantages. And only 6 percent see no disadvantages at all with e-cars.
The most frequently cited advantages are that e-cars are quieter (46 percent) and more environmentally friendly (42 percent). But money also plays a role: 30 percent praise the purchase premium for e-cars, 25 percent lower operating costs and 20 percent lower maintenance costs in the long term. One in four (23 percent) sees the positive image of e-cars as an advantage, only 8 percent the possibility of using electricity from their own generation. And only 3 percent expect greater driving pleasure than with conventional cars. One in three (32 percent) say they see no benefits from e-cars.
"the biggest obstacle to electromobility is the charging network. We need a digital energy transition with a completely digital and intelligent energy network so that a nationwide supply of charging stations can be realized as quickly as possible," said Berg.
If policymakers want to promote the use of e-cars, there are a whole range of measures that could be taken. 7 out of 10 Germans (69 percent) say that a nationwide expansion of charging stations would increase their personal interest in buying an e-car. Financial incentives such as higher purchase premiums (43 percent), lower taxes (39 percent) or a scrapping premium (28 percent) follow at a considerable distance. One in three (38 percent) would like more information about e-mobility. Other desired political measures include privileges for e-cars such as free parking (34 percent), driving bans for cars with internal combustion engines (18 percent) and a higher mineral oil tax (12 percent). 3 in 10 respondents (28 percent), however, say they are not interested in electric cars in general, no matter what policies are put in place.
Germans expect breakthrough in autonomous driving
German citizens see German manufacturers in second place when it comes to another major issue for the future of the automotive industry. One in four (25 percent) believe that classic car manufacturers from Germany such as VW, BMW or Daimler will win the competition for autonomous driving. This puts them well ahead of traditional foreign manufacturers such as ford or toyota (16 percent) and just ahead of IT and internet companies such as apple, google or uber (22 percent), which often dominate the headlines. However, new car manufacturers such as Tesla are seen as having the best chance of taking the lead in autonomous driving, with one in three (34 percent) seeing them in the lead. A majority assumes that autonomous driving is not science fiction, but will soon be part of everyday life. For example, 6 out of 10 (60 percent) german citizens expect that in 20 years at the latest, more self-driving cars will be registered in germany than conventional cars. Only 13 percent expect human-driven cars to still dominate the market in more than 25 years.
"the question is not whether autonomous driving will come, but when it will come," says berg. "the future of the automobile is autonomous. In order for germany to maintain its position as the number one autonomous nation in this autonomous world, only one in two (47 percent) can imagine using an autonomous vehicle. 1 can hold, an optimal digital infrastructure must be built now."
Autonomous cars: worries about hackers and data misuse
At present, however, there are still reservations about the technology – and German citizens are divided, as they are about the e-car. Only one in two (47 percent) can imagine using an autonomous vehicle in principle. Many people are particularly concerned about safety and data protection. 6 out of 10 respondents say they are afraid of technical problems (61 percent) or hacking (59 percent). A further 29 percent say they trust technology less than a person in dangerous situations, and 18 percent have little trust in technology in general. One in two (48 percent) fears data use by third parties. In addition, unresolved legal framework conditions are seen as a disadvantage (59 percent), for example with regard to liability issues. But money also plays a role. 45 percent fear high investment costs in roadside infrastructure for autonomous transport, 36 percent too high prices for vehicles. One in three (33 percent) would not want to give up the fun of driving themselves. Only 11 percent of germans think there are no disadvantages to autonomous driving. Berg: "the perception of risk in autonomous driving seems to me to be distorted. In principle, driving a car is made safer by assistance systems and later by autopilots, because they are not distracted, do not get tired and also do not have emotions that unconsciously affect their driving style."
Three out of four german citizens see benefits from autonomous cars
Three quarters (73 percent) of german citizens see benefits from autonomous cars. The most frequently cited benefits are reduced environmental impact (48 percent), for example through adapted driving styles, and improved traffic flow (45 percent). Around one-third each expect less noise pollution (37 percent), for example because fewer stops and starts are needed at traffic lights, more safety for other road users (34 percent), more driving comfort (34 percent), fewer accidents (33 percent) and more time for the driver (30 percent). Only around one in four (28 percent) expect autonomous driving to increase safety for vehicle occupants. And just 14 percent expect to get to their destination faster.