What's the news?
We could be on the cusp of another 2008-style fuel switchover, but one driven by rising running costs, not a change in the taxation system. That's according to Carzone.ie, the car buying website which has just published its bi-annual motoring report.
In gauging the mood and desires of the Irish motorist, Carzone reckons that we're now, more than ever, ready to make the switch away from conventional diesel and petrol power and over to hybrid and electric cars.
61 per cent of Irish motorists say that their running costs have risen in the past year, and almost a third say that they spend upwards of €250 a month on motoring costs. Of those polled, some 45 per cent say that they're considering a switch to hybrid, or even electric, power as a result of these spiralling costs. Interestingly, 40 per cent said that consideration for the environment would also be a major reason for making the switch.
Commenting on the findings, Karl Connolly, Audience Manager, Carzone said: "This year's report shows a shift in attitude towards electric and hybrid cars as motorists get to grips with alternative fuels and the benefits they bring. It's encouraging to see that awareness of alternative fuel cars is high among drivers and they are informed when it comes to the services, like charging points, that are available in their locality."
Two-thirds of motorists said that they actively plan to buy an electric or hybrid car in the near future, and that's in spite of some 60 per cent being unaware that buying a fully-electric car would nab them a €5,000 price rebate, thanks to the SEAI electric vehicle grant.
Tesla and Lexus would seem to be the biggest potential beneficiaries of this shift, as the Model S and IS 300h are the most-searched for electric and hybrid (respectively) cars on Carzone. Quite how many of those searchers are able to lash out €100,000 on a Tesla remains to be seen, of course... 60 per cent of buyers say that they know where their nearest electric car charging point it, and 40 per cent reckon that there's one within 2km of their homes (although that still means 40 per cent of buyers don't know where their nearest car charging point is). 25 per cent say that a 'fear of the unknown' is holding them back from such a purchase.
The data comes from a polling of some 1,600 Irish motorists, and an analysis of 77 million searches for used and new cars on carzone.ie. Other findings include the fact that a majority of Irish households have two cars - 45 per cent (compared to 37 per cent with one car and 17 per cent with three or more). The majority of us, 30 per cent, spent between €10,000 and €20,000 on our current car. For those spending above €20,000, 72 per cent have taken out a PCP finance package - interesting, considering the recent warnings from the CPCC about PCP buying.
Those of us with three children, or more, are more likely to drive an SUV, but hatchabcks and saloons (26 per cent and 25 per cent respectively) are still the most popular cars with parents.
The most searched-for new car, of those 77 million searches? A Volkswagen Tiguan, in white. That's followed by the Audi A4, Hyundai Tucson, and BMW 5 Series.
Overall, the most searched-for car, both new and used, was the Volkswagen Golf. BMW was the most searched-for brand, while the Mercedes-Benz E-Class was the most searched-for diesel.