Despite climate change: Germans' love for cars is increasing

Created: 06/04/2022, 11:55 am

By: Sebastian Oppenheimer

Despite the climate debate and more working from home – according to a survey, the importance of owning a car is increasing.

Ostfildern – Public transport, ridesharing and rental electric scooters: a few years ago, many people assumed that owning a car might become less and less important in the future.

But the opposite is quite obviously the case: as a survey by the market observer DAT (Deutsche Automobil Treuhand) shows, for the majority of German car owners, having their own car is indispensable in everyday life - and this despite expensive fuel and rising new car prices.

The importance of owning a vehicle has even increased.

In rural areas in particular, many people feel that a car is indispensable.

(Iconic image) © Steinach/Imago

Despite climate change: Germans' love for cars is increasing

According to the DAT survey, 79 percent of car owners state that they cannot meet their everyday mobility needs without their own car.

The place of residence is important here: 86 percent of car owners who live in rural regions (towns with fewer than 20,000 inhabitants) agree with the statement - as do 69 percent of people who live in larger cities (from 100,000 inhabitants) live, 69 percent state that they are dependent on a car.

According to DAT, the values ​​have increased slightly compared to the previous year - the importance of the car has increased.

A survey by an insurance company recently came to a similar conclusion.

The love of Germans for cars is increasing – there are many reasons

However, mobility is not the only reason why so many people love their cars.

According to the survey, the statement “Without my car, I feel very limited in my mobility” met with the greatest approval at 91 percent, but 88 percent of car owners also stated that they enjoy driving a car.

And at least 34 percent still see the car as an opportunity to express their personality.

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DAT survey: New car owners have a particularly strong emotional bond with their vehicle

According to the survey, new car buyers apparently have a stronger emotional bond with their vehicle: 63 percent assigned themselves to the “Car is emotion” group.

For car owners whose car purchase was a long time ago, emotions in relation to their vehicle play a lesser role.

Most of them (64 percent) assigned themselves to the “Car is a means to an end” group.