03/03/2008

• 43.8 percent of the Swiss would buy a hybrid drive vehicle
• One out of every five would consider buying an electric car

Hanover, March 3, 2008. An international comparison shows the Swiss to be very much in the know about hybrid technology. 88.5 percent are aware of hybrid technologies or drives. 43.8 percent of the Swiss would “very definitely” or "very likely" purchase a hybrid car. In opting for an eco-friendly car over a car without hybrid technology, they would even be willing to pay as much as 5,016 Swiss francs more. These are the results of a new representative survey commissioned by the international automotive supplier Continental. Initial findings for Switzerland were published on the Continental website in advance of the Geneva Motor Show. The complete study is slated to be presented in early summer.

43.8 percent of all Swiss motorists can imagine hybrid propulsion in the case of their next car purchase. Should tax or other incentives come into the picture, the figure would rise to as much as 71.6 percent. Graphic: Continental AG

Here you can download the press release as a doc-file.

Here you can download a French version of the press release.

Here you can download the graphic as JPEG.

Here you can download the French graphic.

TNS Infratest, the renowned opinion research institute, surveyed more than 7,000 motorists in Switzerland (1,000), Germany, France, Great Britain, the US, Japan and China. The Swiss rank third in terms of consumer acceptance of hybrid vehicles, with more women (45.5 percent) than men (43.6 percent) able to envision owning a hybrid vehicle. Of those Swiss who had not previously considered purchasing a hybrid vehicle, 59.7 percent would do so if tax-exemption was offered. Here, too, more women (67.8 percent) than men (54.7 percent) would likely respond to such an incentive. Including those lured by incentives, 71.6 percent of all Swiss motorists could imagine purchasing a hybrid drive vehicle.

36.1 percent of the Swiss were aware of the two kinds of engine power in hybrid vehicles. They knew that hybrid systems with gas and electric engines are fuel-saving drive systems. Hybrid vehicles are currently more prevalent among drivers in Switzerland than among their counterparts in any of the other European countries in the Continental survey. 1.9 percent of the Swiss surveyed have already driven a hybrid vehicle. Continental has been manufacturing hybrid systems on a production basis since 2003.

Because of their high fuel-saving potential, hybrid drive systems are felt to have a promising future, in particular for city use. The additional torque also makes driving more fun. "In our opinion, CO₂ and sustainability mark a key trend that will command the attention of the auto industry more than anything else. As a powertrain and drive systems supplier, Continental is perfectly positioned in this regard,” said Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann, responsible on the Continental Executive Board for technological development. "For years now we have been working with hybrids as well as energy storage technology and the indispensable area of energy management. We assume that more and more cars will feature start-stop systems, which will be followed by semi- or full hybrid systems and ultimately electric cars. There is no getting around energy management in any of this, and that is precisely where our strength lies."

For the Swiss, environmental issues are so important that 13.6 percent even believe a hybrid vehicle would not have to be pay for itself in terms of cost savings, the main aim being that of protecting the environment and the climate. Moreover, 20.1 percent of the Swiss could "quite definitely" imagine buying a completely emission-free, battery-powered car developed for urban use only, if it were also tax-free. "This confirms our expectations that the market for electric vehicles will develop increasingly along with the market for vehicles with optimized combustion engines, and that this will be driven by legislative intervention. London is an early example of this development – electric cars can enter the city center without paying charges," noted Dr. Neumann in closing.