A growing number of Europeans are considering a Chinese brand for their next car, with BEVs (battery electric vehicles) and PHEV (plug-in hybrids) being the top options for many respondents who do not already have an electric vehicle (EV), according to a survey by McKinsey & Company.
The survey, conducted by the McKinsey Center for Future Mobility, asked over 200 questions of 30,000 respondents from 15 countries, including China, the US, and Germany.
According to the survey, 38 percent of respondents who do not have an EV are considering a BEV or PHEV as their next car, while 27 percent of European buyers open to considering a Chinese brand.
A survey by Horváth had similar results, with European consumers increasingly interested in Chinese brands, BYD in particular attracting European attention through its sponsorship of the UEFA Europa League football tournament.
Ti Gong
Last October, only 10 percent of respondents considered buying a BYD car, while the rate soared to 36 percent in April, according to Horváth.
The McKinsey survey also found that EV buyers are younger, averaging 42 years old, more urban and tech-savvy, and with higher disposable income compared with EV skeptics.
This might also reflect the main reason why many still hesitate to switch to EVs, with 45 percent of respondents considering them to be too expensive. The other main concerns are charging and driving range.
Some 29 percent of EV owners globally tend to switch back to ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles, mostly because of difficulties with charging, indicating an urgent need for more charging piles, stations, and infrastructure.
China has established the world’s largest charging infrastructure system with the widest range of services and the most complete types of equipment, with the total amount of charging infrastructure in the country reaching 9.92 million units by the end of May, a year-on-year growth of 56 percent, according to official data.
By the end of last year, the nation’s ownership of new energy vehicles had reached 20.41 million, and is expected to increase to 80 million by 2030, according to the latest forecast.
CFP
According to the survey, electric vehicle buyers consider in-car technology more important than the average car buyer.