Model loyalty can be essential for legacy automobile manufacturers to protect market share towards the mounting menace of recent entrants akin to Tesla and cheaper imported Chinese language BEVs, in response to Bloomberg Intelligence’s newest European automobile shopping for intentions survey.

The examine additionally revealed that European customers proceed to favour inside combustion engine (ICE) fashions – particularly plug-in hybrids – over the battery electrical automobiles (BEVs).

Hybrids have gained in recognition, cut up evenly between plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and hybrid electrical automobiles (HEVs), although neither is but mirrored in gross sales, with shares of 8% and 10%, respectively, in 2023.

Solely 18% of respondents planning to purchase a automobile within the subsequent yr stated they’d go for a BEV, with 46% saying they like hybrids.

The survey findings additionally pose a possible stumbling block to pure-plays like Tesla and Chinese language new entrants, with 74% of customers reluctant to purchase an imported car which is nice information for home European manufacturers – however provided that they take pleasure in robust model loyalty.

 “Total, model loyalty in Europe appears to be like robust,” stated Michael Dean, senior trade analyst at BI. “With 62% of survey respondents confirming they’re seemingly to purchase the identical marque and solely 14% intent on altering versus 17% in August.

“Model retention is highest in Germany, with simply 10% of these surveyed unlikely to buy the identical automobile once more. This bodes properly for German automakers’ home market share of near 60%.

“Stellantis’ Peugeot had the bottom loyalty ranking, although it could draw consolation from responses to follow-up questions that prompt the primary cause for altering manufacturers have been the power to afford a dearer automobile or the unavailability of a most popular mannequin.”

He added that shopper apathy over switching to electrical could be being pushed by a watering down of pledges to ban ICE gross sales from 2035, particularly as 68% of these surveyed consider the 2035 deadline needs to be delayed.

Dean commented: “European carmakers are dialling again EV gross sales objectives in 2024 as a result of rising shopper apathy. Our newest analysis reveals lower than one in 5 personal patrons favour EVs, with almost half preferring hybrids. This can be a pattern which performs to BMW, Mercedes and Toyota’s strengths, however disadvantages pureplay Tesla and China manufacturers.

“Tesla’s gross sales outlook continues to deteriorate, because it fell to fourth from pole place in August in our patrons’ rating of most-wanted manufacturers as competitors within the BEV area intensified. Audi now tops the listing, intently adopted by Mercedes and BMW. Porsche just isn’t far behind because the most-sought-after luxurious model, forward of Ferrari.

“Tesla’s continued value cuts, because it seeks to maneuver about 1 million models of ramped-up capability in its Austin, Texas, and Berlin vegetation might postpone potential patrons involved over resale values. In the meantime, European customers want reassurance over the standard, expertise and second-hand values of imported Chinese language manufacturers.”

A scarcity of charging factors, vary nervousness and excessive costs stay high shopper considerations throughout Europe, in response to the survey

Whereas European charging infrastructure is rising quickly – with solely 780,000 public connectors as of 2023 – it is failing to maintain tempo with EV gross sales and properly beneath the 1.4 million factors wanted by 2025 to satisfy base transition situation.

Charging and vary nervousness are more likely to proceed to high the listing of customers’ considerations, notes BI, as 77% of BEVs registered in Europe in 2023 had sub-312-mile (500 km) ranges.

As well as, the costs of recent vehicles are too excessive in Europe, in response to 83% of survey respondents, although most (27%) indicated they’ll go forward with their purchases and make financial savings elsewhere. Nonetheless, 26% (down from 28%) are more likely to delay a purchase order in anticipation of value cuts, whereas 25% intend to purchase a lower-specification mannequin.