The electric car, a future still strewn with pitfalls according to the French

• A survey published on Tuesday by Ifop examines the image of the electric car.

• The French are aware of the eventual disappearance of gasoline or diesel engines.

• But from change of opinion to change of behavior, the road is long.

The electric car is gradually making its mark in the sales of new vehicles… and in the minds of the French. According to an Ifop survey for Ovo Energy France * published on Tuesday, motorists are well aware that the end of 100% thermal vehicles (gasoline, diesel) is inevitable. While the EU plans to ban the sale of these new models in 2035, 66% of respondents believe that combustion vehicles will have completely disappeared by 2040.

Who to succeed them?

This is where things get more complicated.

Indeed, if they had to replace their vehicle in the coming year, only 15% of French people would choose a 100% electric car.

A third (32%) of them would buy a hybrid car (which has an electric motor and another thermal) and 41% would choose a gasoline or diesel engine.

"Opinions change faster than behavior"

As Frédéric Dabi, Managing Director of Ifop, sums it up, “there is both a real shift in opinion with the integration of the disappearance of combustion-powered cars, but as often, opinions evolve faster than behavior. .

At present, the classic car, gasoline or diesel, remains the daily newspaper for an overwhelming majority of French people ”.

According to the latest data available, around 40 million vehicles are in circulation in France.

Among them, only 1.1% (or 469,000 cars) are 100% electric.

The road to full electrification is therefore still long, especially as the survey shows that many doubts persist in the minds of drivers.

The price mirage

Thus, among those polled, 60% believe that the qualifier "expensive" applies well to the electric car, and 36% consider that "the costs of purchase and operation" are a major obstacle to the acquisition.

However, this interpretation is incorrect.

If the cost of purchasing an electric vehicle is often higher than that of its thermal counterpart, the relationship is reversed when looking at the cost of use over several years.

Thus, according to a survey by UFC Que-Chooser, an average electric vehicle (type Tesla Model 3, Peugeot e-208) saves around 7,000 euros over four years compared to a petrol competitor, including all expenses. (purchase, fuel, maintenance, etc.).

“This shows that there are still some well-anchored stereotypes which mean that the enthusiasm of the French for electricity remains moderate,” observes Frédéric Dabi.

Young people at the forefront

Other brakes on the electric car cited by respondents: “low range” (39%) and “lack of charging stations” (24%). These two aspects are linked, because a greater deployment of public terminals - the government is targeting 100,000 charging points at the end of the year - will allow those who make long journeys not to fear “running out of fuel”.

Despite these pitfalls, Frédéric Dabi believes that "the imagination around the car is changing, and irreversibly".

This is particularly visible among young voters.

Among the 18-35 year olds surveyed by Ifop, 58% of them would prefer to support a candidate who defends low-carbon mobility rather than another.

This is good news for the planet, even if electric vehicles - the manufacture of which, in particular batteries, emits CO2 - are only part of the answer to the evolution of mobility.

* 

.

Planet

Commitments towards the end of new combustion vehicles by 2040

Automotive

Electric car: This "suitcase" allows you to easily recharge your vehicle.

• Automotive

• Survey

• Car

• Electric car

• Economy

• 0 comment

• 0 share

  • Share on Messenger

  • Share on Facebook

  • Share on twitter

  • Share on Flipboard

  • Share on Pinterest

  • Share on Linkedin

  • Send by Mail

• To safeguard

• A fault ?

• To print