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TÜV SÜD's clients regard e-cars as eco-friendly and innovative

Munich/Frankfurt am Main. "Eco-friendly", "innovative" and "sensible" are the attributes consumers name most often in connection with electric cars, according to a representative survey conducted by TÜV SÜD and market research institute Technomar. Sixty per cent of motorists surveyed claimed to be actively interested in e-mobility.

Twenty-four per cent of those surveyed rate their interest in an e-car as "high", while 35 % indicate "moderate" interest. In cooperation with Technomar, TÜV SÜD surveyed 5,300 motorists via the Internet and at the TÜV SÜD service centres. Approximately half of the drivers surveyed stated that they have a good level of knowledge of e-mobility. The characteristics most frequently used to describe the image of e-cars were "eco-friendly", "innovative" and "sensible".

"If we assume that environmental protection will become an increasingly important influence on purchase decisions, this result is highly promising for e-mobility", notes Horst Schneider, CEO of TÜV SÜD Auto Service GmbH. Given this, the most frequent arguments in favour of e-cars come as no surprise: environmental protection, reduction in exhaust and noise emissions, independence from fossil fuels. The most frequent arguments against e-cars include: short range, long recharging times and high purchase price. "In view of the rapid technological development in this area, however, arguments are likely to shift in the future", notes Andreas Varesi, Managing Director of Technomar GmbH.

As far as the purchase of an electric car is concerned, the survey revealed that manufacturers from newly industrialized Asian countries would draw the short straw. 75 per cent of the motorists surveyed would not or would "only reluctantly" buy an e-car made in India or China. From purchasing to use: electric cars would be used most frequently for travelling from and to work and driven relatively often in cities. Approximately half of the respondents with private parking indicated that their parking space also offers a power outlet. "Providing charging points for electric cars at TÜV SÜD service centres is basically feasible", notes Horst Schneider.

Incidentally, a vast majority of drivers surveyed would not hesitate to use an electric taxi. As many as three-quarters of the motorists surveyed said that they would like to rent an electric car for short trips. Horst Schneider's conclusion: "Electric cars are highly promising options for taxi and car rental companies."

TÜV SÜD provides multifaceted services supporting its clients in the development and use of electric cars. At the IAA, the mobility experts focus on the safety standards associated with lithium-ion batteries. Technomar is one of the leading market-research institutes investigating the prospects of innovative technologies.

To research the market opportunities of e-cars, in the run-up to the IAA TÜV SÜD and Technomar conducted a comprehensive study on the future issue of e-mobility. 5,300 motorists, of which eighty per cent were men, participated in this survey on-site at the TÜV SÜD service centres or via the Internet. 40- to 49-year-olds made up the largest age group, accounting for 30 per cent of respondents. Most survey participants (48 per cent precisely) live in households with three or more persons, 36 per cent in two-person households and 16 per cent are singles.

Under the motto "Discover diversity, enhance efficiency", TÜV SÜD and its subsidiaries will present their services from roadworthiness testing to cost-efficiency in car dealerships and environmentally-friendly fleet management from 17 to 27 September in Hall 8, Stand 13A.

TÜV SÜD also provides information about its activities at the IAA on dedicated Internet pages: www.tuev-sued.de/iaa2009