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Presse
Harris Interactive AutoTECHCAST Europe: Study Finds Interest
in Enhanced Fuel Economy among Adults across Europe
Rochester, N.Y. and Hamburg – December 20, 2007 –
According to a new Harris Interactive AutoTECHCASTSM study of
adults in the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany and Spain, more than
one-third (35%) are very or extremely likely to include enhanced fuel economy
technologies on their next vehicle. Nearly one-third of all vehicle segment
owners expressed the same sentiment, with SUV/4x4 owners expressing the highest
initial consideration at 44 percent. Despite the highest initial consideration,
enhanced fuel economy experienced the highest drop in post-market price
consideration in the study. Once respondents were made aware of the £650/€950
price tag, consideration dropped 24 percentage points to 11 percent.
These are just some of the results from the Harris Interactive AutoTECHCAST
study, a survey of adult vehicle owners in the U.K., France, Italy, Germany and
Spain. AutoTECHCAST provides in-depth consumer trends on 61 advanced automotive
technologies. The study was conducted online between August 8 and September 8,
2007 among 16,285 vehicle owners.
Stephen Lovett, Director of Automotive & Transportation Research at
Harris Interactive states, "For purposes of our study, we defined ‘enhanced
fuel economy’ as technologies that improve overall fuel consumption by
controlling valve timing, reducing engine friction, improving transmission
efficiency and reducing other mechanical losses. It is interesting to note that
while this data shows us that consumers are very interested in these fuel-saving
technologies, it also indicates that they’re generally not willing to pay for
them."
Hybrids Also Receive Consideration
Almost 2 out of 10 respondents (19%) indicated they were very or extremely
likely to include hybrid electric technology in their next vehicle.
Consideration dropped twelve percentage points to seven percent once respective
market price of £3,000/€4,000 was revealed. Initial consideration was
relatively equal across vehicle segment owners, with the exception of sport
coupe/convertible owners, who had slightly less interest.
Those likely to include hybrid electric technology in their next vehicle were
also asked about plug-in hybrid technology. Seven out of ten hybrid electric
vehicle considerers (70%) were at least likely to consider a plug-in hybrid
electric vehicle. Of those considerers, 65 percent indicated that they would
prefer having to plug-in their vehicle each night versus having to fill-up at
the gas station once a week. Lovett adds, "The convenience of being able to
charge vehicles at home certainly resonated with European drivers."
Familiarity Still Lacking
Despite the numbers, there remains much work to be done in terms of
familiarity. Majorities in each country say they are only somewhat or not at all
familiar with both enhanced fuel economy and hybrid electric vehicle
technologies. Adults in the United Kingdom are the least familiar with enhance
fuel economy (89%), followed by Germany (84%), France (81%), Italy (77%) and
Spain (52%). When asked about hybrid electric vehicle technology, more adults in
Germany (21%) are familiar with the technology, as opposed to those in Italy
(15%), Spain (13%), the U.K. (12%) and France (7%).
Lovett concludes, "Consumers are less concerned with the technologies
themselves than the benefit that they provide. In the end, what really matters
is going farther on each litre of fuel, with a minimum upfront investment."
For additional information on AutoTECHCAST Europe please visit our website.
TABLE 1
FAMILIARITY WITH ENHANCE FUEL ECONOMY TECHNOLOGY
"How familiar are you with Enhanced Fuel Economy
technology?"
Base: Enhanced Fuel Economy Randomly Selected
|
|
Total |
United Kingdom |
France |
Italy |
Germany |
Spain |
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
Top 2 Box (NET) |
8 |
2 |
6 |
12 |
6 |
18 |
|
Extremely familiar |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
8 |
|
Very familiar |
6 |
2 |
5 |
11 |
5 |
10 |
|
Familiar |
13 |
8 |
12 |
11 |
9 |
29 |
|
Bottom 2 Box (NET) |
79 |
89 |
81 |
77 |
84 |
52 |
|
Somewhat familiar |
32 |
26 |
31 |
46 |
30 |
30 |
|
Not at all familiar |
47 |
63 |
51 |
31 |
54 |
23 |
Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.
TABLE 2
LIKELIHOOD OF PURCHASE—BY COUNTRY
"How likely would you be to purchase this technology on
your next new vehicle?"
Enhanced Fuel Economy
Base: Enhanced Fuel Economy Randomly Chosen
|
|
Total |
United Kingdom |
France |
Italy |
Germany |
Spain |
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
Top 2 Box (NET) |
35 |
21 |
37 |
40 |
30 |
55 |
|
Extremely likely |
12 |
6 |
12 |
14 |
8 |
28 |
|
Very likely |
23 |
15 |
25 |
26 |
23 |
27 |
|
Likely |
32 |
26 |
33 |
32 |
33 |
36 |
|
Bottom 2 Box (NET) |
34 |
53 |
31 |
28 |
37 |
9 |
|
Somewhat likely |
28 |
42 |
27 |
24 |
32 |
5 |
|
Not at all likely |
6 |
11 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
4 |
Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.
TABLE 3
LIKELIHOOD OF PURCHASE—BY VEHICLE TYPE
"How likely would you be to purchase this technology on
your next new vehicle?"
Enhanced Fuel Economy
|
|
Total |
Type of Vehicle Owned |
|
Small City/
Small Compact |
Mid-Size Compact/
Mid-Size |
Executive/
Luxury |
Compact MPV/
Large MPV |
SUV/
4X4 |
Sport Coupe/
Convertible |
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
Top 2 Box (NET) |
35 |
37 |
32 |
31 |
36 |
44 |
38 |
|
Extremely likely |
13 |
15 |
11 |
10 |
13 |
12 |
12 |
|
Very likely |
23 |
22 |
21 |
21 |
24 |
32 |
26 |
|
Likely |
32 |
30 |
33 |
33 |
34 |
31 |
23 |
|
Bottom 2 Box (NET) |
33 |
33 |
35 |
36 |
29 |
25 |
39 |
|
Somewhat likely |
27 |
28 |
29 |
26 |
26 |
21 |
29 |
|
Not at all likely |
6 |
5 |
5 |
10 |
4 |
3 |
10 |
Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.
TABLE 4
FAMILIARITY WITH HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY
"How familiar are you with Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV)
technology?"
Base: Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) Randomly Selected
|
|
Total |
United Kingdom |
France |
Italy |
Germany |
Spain |
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
Top 2 Box (NET) |
14 |
12 |
7 |
15 |
21 |
13 |
|
Extremely familiar |
3 |
3 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
|
Very familiar |
11 |
9 |
6 |
11 |
16 |
10 |
|
Familiar |
20 |
21 |
18 |
15 |
23 |
22 |
|
Bottom 2 Box (NET) |
66 |
67 |
75 |
70 |
57 |
65 |
|
Somewhat familiar |
35 |
33 |
46 |
24 |
41 |
28 |
|
Not at all familiar |
31 |
33 |
29 |
46 |
16 |
37 |
Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.
TABLE 5
LIKELIHOOD OF PURCHASE—BY COUNTRY
"How likely would you be to purchase this technology on
your next new vehicle?
Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV)"
Base: Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) Randomly Selected
|
|
Total |
United Kingdom |
France |
Italy |
Germany |
Spain |
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
Top 2 Box (NET) |
19 |
7 |
12 |
24 |
23 |
32 |
|
Extremely likely |
6 |
1 |
4 |
9 |
5 |
12 |
|
Very likely |
14 |
6 |
8 |
15 |
19 |
20 |
|
Likely |
26 |
19 |
28 |
25 |
26 |
31 |
|
Bottom 2 Box (NET) |
55 |
73 |
60 |
51 |
51 |
37 |
|
Somewhat likely |
28 |
36 |
24 |
32 |
24 |
26 |
|
Not at all likely |
27 |
37 |
36 |
19 |
26 |
11 |
Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.
TABLE 6
LIKELIHOOD OF PURCHASE —BY VEHICLE TYPE
"How likely would you be to purchase this technology on
your next new vehicle?
Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV)"
Base: Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) Randomly Chosen
|
|
Total |
Type of Vehicle Owned |
|
Small City/
Small Compact |
Mid-Size Compact/
Mid-Size |
Executive/
Luxury |
Compact MPV/
Large MPV |
SUV/
4X4 |
Sport Coupe/
Convertible |
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
Top 2 Box (NET) |
19 |
20 |
19 |
20 |
20 |
21 |
10 |
|
Extremely likely |
6 |
4 |
6 |
7 |
7 |
9 |
2 |
|
Very likely |
13 |
16 |
13 |
13 |
13 |
12 |
7 |
|
Likely |
26 |
26 |
25 |
25 |
29 |
26 |
23 |
|
Bottom 2 Box (NET) |
55 |
54 |
55 |
55 |
52 |
53 |
68 |
|
Somewhat likely |
29 |
32 |
28 |
30 |
24 |
30 |
23 |
|
Not at all likely |
26 |
22 |
27 |
26 |
28 |
23 |
45 |
Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.
TABLE 7
LIKELIHOOD TO CONSIDER PLUG-IN HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLES
"How likely are you to consider a plug-in hybrid electric
vehicle which operates on both electricity and gasoline and can be charged
overnight?"
Base: Likely To Include Hybrid Electric Engine
|
|
Total |
United Kingdom |
France |
Italy |
Germany |
Spain |
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
Top 2 Box (NET) |
31 |
11 |
47 |
37 |
26 |
28 |
|
Extremely likely |
12 |
2 |
17 |
18 |
10 |
10 |
|
Very likely |
19 |
8 |
30 |
19 |
16 |
18 |
|
Likely |
39 |
24 |
42 |
50 |
42 |
28 |
|
Bottom 2 Box (NET) |
30 |
65 |
11 |
13 |
33 |
44 |
|
Somewhat likely |
24 |
45 |
11 |
13 |
27 |
36 |
|
Not at all likely |
6 |
20 |
2 |
1 |
6 |
8 |
Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.
TABLE 8
PLUGGING IN VS. FILLING UP
"If you could perform your daily commutes each week by
either plugging in your vehicle every night or filling up at the gas station
during the week, which would you prefer?"
Base: At Least Somewhat Likely To Consider A Plug-In Hybrid
|
|
Total |
United Kingdom |
France |
Italy |
Germany |
Spain |
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
Plugging vehicle in every night |
65 |
55 |
78 |
70 |
56 |
67 |
|
Filling up at the gas station once during the week |
19 |
33 |
11 |
15 |
22 |
16 |
|
Not sure |
16 |
11 |
11 |
14 |
22 |
17 |
Methodology
This AutoTECHCAST survey was conducted online by Harris Interactive
among a total of 16,285 adults ages 18 and over who own or lease a vehicle, have
a valid driver’s license, have at least once household vehicle, owns a listed
manufacturer vehicle or listed European model 1998 or newer within the United
Kingdom (3,271), France (3,532), Italy (3,751), Germany (3,308) and Spain
(2,423). Figures for age, sex, education, region and Internet usage were
weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions
in the population. Propensity score weighting was used to adjust for respondents’
propensity to be online.
All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling,
are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to
quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, error associated
with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options,
and post-survey weighting and adjustments. Therefore, Harris Interactive avoids
the words "margin of error" as they are misleading. All that can be
calculated are different possible sampling errors with different probabilities
for pure, unweighted, random samples with 100% response rates. These are only
theoretical because no published polls come close to this ideal.
Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to
participate in Harris Interactive surveys. The data have been weighted to
reflect the composition of the adult populations of the respective countries.
Because the sample is based on those who agreed to participate in the Harris
Interactive panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.
Full data tables are available upon request. These statements conform to the
principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls and of the
British Polling Council.
About Harris Interactive
Harris Interactive is the 13th largest and one of the fastest-growing market
research firms in the world. The company provides innovative research, insights
and strategic advice to help its clients make more confident decisions which
lead to measurable and enduring improvements in performance. Harris Interactive
is widely known for The Harris Poll, one of the longest running, independent
opinion polls and for pioneering online market research methods. The company has
built what it believes to be the world’s largest panel of survey respondents,
the Harris Poll Online. Harris Interactive serves clients worldwide through its
North American, European and Asian offices, and through a global network of
independent market research firms. More information about Harris Interactive may
be obtained at www.harrisinteractive.com.
Contact:
Harris Interactive Inc. 12/07
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