Hybrid cars decline in ��intended�� buyers

Friday November 27, 2009

The consumer consideration of Hybrid cars has decreased at a steady rate since petrol prices peaked in mid 2008, according to the largest independent Australian research company, Roy Morgan Research.

The Roy Morgan survey asked those people intending to buy a new car how they rated and considered hybrid cars (petrol and electric) as their choice. Results from Roy Morgan Research show that those intending to buy hybrid cars have declined somewhat since the middle of 2008 when petrol prices were at their highest.

When at its highest, the number of people intending to buy a new car in the next four years that would ';seriously consider buying a hybrid vehicle' was at 62.8 per cent or 1,371,000. At this time Australian petrol prices were averaging $1.58 per litre. However, this figure at September 2009 was closer to 50.1 per cent or 1,031,000 with petrol prices averaging around $1.21 per litre.

Norman Morris, Industry Communications Director of Roy Morgan Research stated that there was a clear relationship between what kinds of cars Australians were intending to buy and the Global Financial Crisis with the pull between environmental issues and economic survival.

"When fuel prices peaked in mid 2008, so too did consideration of hybrid cars.

"$1.40 per litre represents the upper end of the consumer comfort range for fuel prices, above which gains in consideration of alternate fuels comes into play.

"These findings do not in any way detract from the importance consumers place on the environment; however, they do show the relationship between fuel prices and consideration of alternate fuels." Mr Morris stated.

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