73 percent of Brits love having their own car
If the popularity of Top Gear and the success of the scrappage scheme weren’t proof enough, the Brits' love affair with the car is far from over according to a new study by Europcar. In the annual Europcar Observatory - an independent survey covering 7 countries in Europe and over 5000 drivers - 73% of Brits said they love having their own car compared to 60% in the rest of Europe. And when pushed to consider giving up a household car, 67% said they just couldn’t do without their car compared to 61% in Europe.
Yet Brits re acutely conscious of the cost of car ownership. Even though car ownership is hurting pockets slightly less than European counterparts at £106 per month on average, compared to £126 for car owners in the rest of Europe, 61% have changed their driving habits to reduce costs.
65% are driving less and switching to other transport or walking for short journeys, 62% have changed the way they drive to conserve fuel and a third have opted to car share. We’re only slightly behind the rest of Europe though, where 63% of drivers have made cutbacks. The respondents most likely to have cut back on motoring costs are those that have used car hire in the past suggesting these drivers are more switched on to the alternative transport options.
When it comes to alternatives to using the car, two legs are better than two wheels. 95% of Brits would walk more if they gave up their cars, just half would consider cycling, compared to two thirds of Europeans and only 20% would consider a motorbike or scooters, compared to over a third in Europe.
The Europcar Observatory findings also revealed there are 5 types of drivers:
1. “No choice dependents”
These are primarily people living in rural areas, where there are no alternative means of transport. Having their own car is a necessity but also gives them freedom and independence. They are sensitive to cost, however, and have had to change their driving habits significantly for that reason.
2. “Detached urbanites”
These drivers do not like cars in general and, of the five categories, they are the most likely to support a ban on cars in city centres. Most of them would consider doing away with their car. Their primary alternative would be public transport.
3. “Strategic nomads”
These drivers are considering doing away with their car for both cost and environmental reasons. They draw on the complete range of alternatives to get around – from public transport, walking to a car hire location and car sharing – depending on their particular need or activity at any given time. Most of these drivers have already hired or have considered hiring a vehicle, and recognise that it allows them to adapt the car to their needs while being practical, ecological and economical.
4. “Car lovers”
These drivers love cars in general. They are attached to their car and use it for most of their journeys. They are nonetheless open to car hire, which is perceived as practical and an opportunity to try a new car.
5. “Exclusive owners”
When it comes to mobility, these drivers can only reason in terms of their own car. There is no question of them giving up ownership. If they care about environmental issues at all, it is not in the context of their car.
Catriona Lougher, Marketing Director for Europcar said: “There’s no doubt that with the current transport infrastructure in the UK combined with a deeply ingrained mindset towards car ownership, parting the British motorist from their motor is no mean feat. That said, we are seeing the emergence of new groups of motorists – the detached urbanites and strategic nomads who appear more open to a life without car ownership. These along with households who have downsized their cars or gone from 2 cars to one in the household to cut costs are turning to car hire to give them the mobility they need, just for the time they need it. At Europcar we have anticipated this demand with a range of initiatives such as free delivery and collection, one way hires and bookings via mobile phone to make car hire simple, accessible and affordable.”
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