OSTFILDERN (dpa-AFX) - For many car owners in Germany, plans to switch to a purely electric car are still a long way off, according to a survey. This is the result of the annual industry report published by Deutsche Automobil Treuhand (DAT), as the company announced on Tuesday. According to DAT, more than 4,700 people were surveyed on car purchasing and workshop behavior for the study, which it claims is representative.

According to the study, just over a third of the car owners surveyed cannot currently imagine switching to an all-electric vehicle. Three percent already owned an electric car. Just under a quarter said "don't know" when asked about their plans to switch.

In contrast, 39 percent of the car owners surveyed could imagine making the switch. However, almost half of them (47 percent) were thinking about a time in more than five years. A third of those willing to switch were thinking of a period of between three and five years. One in five of those willing to switch could imagine buying an e-car in the next two years, with only five percent thinking about the next twelve months.

E-car significantly more expensive than a combustion engine

Last year, the most common reasons cited by new buyers of a combustion engine car for not buying a fully electric car were a limited range, high purchase costs and an immature infrastructure. According to the study, a new electric car cost an average of €50,060 in 2023, around €15,000 more than a new combustion engine.

On average, a used car in 2023 - regardless of the drive type - cost €18,620, one percent less than in the previous year. At that time, prices had risen by over 19 percent. In contrast, new car prices continued to rise, albeit less sharply. The average price here was €44,630, which corresponds to an increase of four percent compared to 2022./rwi/DP/jha