New Research Reveals: Hybrid Electric comes out on top as a preferred choice for new car purchasers.
Hybrid Electric Comes Out On Top As Preferred Choice For New Car Purchasers.
Despite the cost-of-living increases new car purchase intention has grown from 19% to 23% year on year.
A new study of Irish people intending to purchase a new car within the next 18 months has shown hybrid electrics as the top pick overall other powertrain options. Just over 31% of the prospective new car buyers surveyed said they will choose a hybrid electric for their next car purchase, while more than half (54%) are likely to consider one. Currently, hybrid electrics represent 22.5% of the Irish market in 2022.
The research of 1,900 adults conducted by iReach revealed that 45% intend to buy a car within the next 12 to 18 months, with 23% stating they will buy a new car, which represents a considerable jump from the 19% who stated the same in a similar survey conducted in March 2021.
As is evident by the high demand for hybrid electrics, the survey findings represent a major change underway in Ireland towards electrified motoring as drivers seek to switch from pure fossil fuel powered vehicles into more environmentally sustainable options. Battery electric cars (EVs) made major gains coming in as the second most popular new car option at 26%, which is up from 20% last year in a similar study. Diesel came in third at 18%, petrol 4th at 17% and plug-in hybrids fifth at 8%.
As Ireland’s best-selling car brand in 2022, Toyota’s strong reputation was reflected in the survey findings as it came out on top in a number of key categories:
Leaders in hybrid technology – 75%
Build quality: Toyota 1st at 19%
Brand reputation: Toyota 1st at 18%
Low fuel consumption: Toyota 1st at 21%
Low environmental impact: Toyota 1st at 26%
Resale value: Toyota 1st at 25%
The survey also revealed that Toyota is considered the most trusted car brand in Ireland at 24%, which is very much reflective of the recent Reptrak study of the 100 most reputable brands in the country in which Toyota ranked 9th overall.
Commenting on the research findings, Zoe Bradley, head of marketing at Toyota said, “It’s really heartening to see the migration towards low and zero CO2 emitting vehicles in a market once dominated by diesel. The move towards electrified motoring is clearly gathering pace and at Toyota we are proud to be at the forefront of this positive change.
“This move towards more sustainable motoring and the important role that our hybrid electrics play is absolutely evident in the survey findings, where almost a third of new car buyers are planning to purchase a hybrid. We have long held the belief that hybrids represent a natural choice for drivers wishing to move away from diesel and create positive change for the environment. Importantly, EVs are finally gaining traction as a strong choice for new car buyers and we believe will represent a further shift change in the mass market adoption of battery electrics.”
