COBURG (dpa-AFX) - In Germany, the purchase of electric cars remains largely the preserve of property owners. According to an analysis by HUK Coburg, 81 percent of all privately registered e-cars are driven by people who own a house or apartment. The data show that 4.8 percent of homeowners own an e-car, compared to just 1.6 percent among those without property, as reported by Germany's largest car insurer. The figures refer solely to pure battery-electric vehicles; hybrids are not included.
Easier Charging with a Private Parking Spot
The company attributes this to charging opportunities: Owners of garage parking spaces or carports are much more likely to drive an e-car than those who park on the street. "If charging options for outdoor parkers in Germany's major cities improve, this could lead to a significant increase in the adoption of electromobility," commented HUK board member Jörg Rheinländer.
... Yet Electric Cars Are More Popular in the Largest Cities
According to an accompanying survey, e-cars are actually more popular in metropolitan areas with over half a million residents than elsewhere in Germany: 59 percent of big city dwellers rate electric cars as good or very good, compared to only 45 percent of residents in smaller communities. Nevertheless, HUK reports that residents of the 15 largest German cities are, on average, less likely to switch to an e-car than people living outside these centers or in the countryside. The proportion of e-car converts in the fifteen largest cities is 4.6 percent, below the nationwide rate of 5.5 percent.
Top-Earning Starnberg District Also Leads in E-Car Adoption
Accordingly, HUK records the highest e-car conversion rates in smaller cities, rural regions, and the greater Munich area: Leading the pack is the Starnberg district south of the Bavarian capital, home to many high earners and wealthy residents, with a 10 percent e-car conversion rate.
Regionally striking: Of the 15 municipalities with the highest conversion rates, eleven are in Bavaria, with two each in North Rhine-Westphalia (Höxter and Paderborn) and Lower Saxony (Holzminden and Lüchow-Dannenberg). The remaining 13 federal states do not appear in the e-car top 15 at all.
The federal government plans to launch a new e-car subsidy this year for people with a household income of up to 80,000 euros, and for parents with children, the subsidy will apply up to a maximum income of 90,000 euros. HUK did not establish a direct link between income and e-car ownership, but naturally, high earners find it easier to finance property than people with less money. Aside from that, electric cars are still, on average, more expensive than conventional vehicles, even though the price gap is narrowing.
However, e-car sales have already accelerated even before the reintroduction of subsidies; according to HUK, last year 5.5 percent of private car owners opted for a battery-electric vehicle when purchasing a new car, more than ever before. In the fourth quarter, this rate rose to 6.3 percent.
HUK Only Analyzes Private Registrations
For its "E-Barometer," HUK regularly analyzes only private electric car registrations. Unlike data from the Federal Motor Transport Authority, this includes both new and used vehicles. Company cars, business vehicles, and rental fleets are not included.
The calculations are based on an analysis of the company's own data. The Upper Franconian insurer is the market leader in the car insurance sector, with around 14 million insured vehicles./cho/DP/zb
