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2011-09-13Europcar’s 4th Annual Transportation & Mobility Observatory sees a new era in European mobility emerging, as the economic crisis and new services prompt drivers to change their ways
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- Growing divide between drivers and cars: 43% of European car owners in general - and 47% of urban drivers -- are considering giving up their car
- Rental is viewed as better adapted to needs and more economical than car ownership for 46% and 35% of Europeans, respectively
- Cars available in self service are an attractive mobility option for more than 57% of Europeans drivers, rising to 61% in urban areas
Europcar, the leader in car rental services in Europe, today released the key findings of the fourth edition of the Europcar Transportation and Mobility Observatory conducted in partnership with polling institute Ipsos. The survey, which seeks to identify new trends in European mobility, is based on responses from more than 6,000 drivers, age 18 and over, in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain and the UK.
Among highlights of the 2011 edition, the vast majority of Europeans have significantly changed their driving habits in the past year, primarily for cost reasons but also to protect the environment. Their love affair with their car is also waning, as the freedom their car procures them is increasingly outweighed by the expense and impracticality of car ownership. Indeed, an increasing number of drivers have considered or are considering doing away with their car. Especially in urban areas, alternative solutions such as public transportation, car pooling and even cycling are making inroads. Meanwhile, cars available in self service, and features such as geo-location technology to find the vehicle in the street and payment by the minute or hour, are making rental an increasingly attractive option.
Commenting on the survey findings, Philippe Guillemot, Chief Executive Officer of Europcar Groupe, said: "The economic crisis has changed habits and created a need for smart solutions. As European consumers rethink their priorities and draw on an increasingly broad palette of services, their mobility choices are becoming lifestyle choices. The advent of new rental features, such as finding a vehicle by cellphone and payment by the minute, caters to this trend and we see an era of mobility on demand emerging. As the European leader in our industry, Europcar is essentially enabling this lifestyle change and we will continue to innovate to provide our customers with ever more simple, convenient and affordable mobility, today and in the future."
Analysis of Bruno Marzloff, sociologist and coordinator of Chronos[1], a European think tank on new mobility: "The car will continue to be used for most travel needs for the coming years. Still, behind this usage lies a profound change in attitudes and new trends are emerging.
The car is becoming a utility, a service which is part of a broader system of mobility options. The way to get from one place to another now reflects the traveler's ability to leverage different means of transportation (train, walking, bus, bicycle) and optimize use of the car (rental, car-pooling, car-sharing). In the future, the traveler will aim for "mastered mobility": even if the itinerary is increasingly complex, he or she will want to be able to complete it within the expected budget and timeframe.
Players in mobility face three main challenges. The first is the ability to withdraw from traditional models to consider that the customer is "shared": part of the driver's travel takes place before and after the time in the car. The second challenge is to guarantee seamless mobility and facilitate the traveler's transition from one means of transportation to another. The third challenge lies in the regulation of sustainable mobility by improving cars' occupation and usage rates."
European results in detail
Looking at the 2011 Observatory survey results in detail, 91% of European drivers said they had changed the way they drive in the past year for cost reasons, up 1.5 points from 2010. The changes include driving more slowly and using their car less often for short or long trips. Like last year, Portuguese, French and Spanish drivers led the way in this area (at 95%, 94% and 93%, respectively) while German and Belgian drivers were the least likely to change their ways (at 89% and 86%, respectively).
Portuguese and French drivers also led in changing their ways for environmental reasons (at 89% and 87%, respectively); the UK trailed in this area at 76%. Overall, 82% of European drivers said they had changed the way they drive for ecological reasons.
In the wake of the economic crisis, an increasing number of Europeans consider the cost of car ownership to be expensive, with 36% responding "absolutely" in 2011, compared with 33% in 2010. The UK topped the list in this area, with 88% of British drivers saying it costs a lot to own a car.
From changing driving habits to giving up the car?
Indeed, 43% of European drivers said they have considered or could consider giving up their car (or one of their household's cars), up 4 points from 2010 and 7 points from 2008. Of these, 84% mentioned financial reasons as the motivation -- a 3-point increase from last year - while 50% mentioned ecological reasons.
Spain overtook Italy to top the list of respondents considering this radical move while Belgian drivers were least likely to consider this option. Among German drivers, 37% said they could consider giving up one of their cars in 2011, a 9-point jump from the 2010 level.
In urban areas with populations of more than 200,000, 47% of drivers have considered or could consider giving up at least one of their household cars in the next 12 months. This trend is particularly strong among drivers under the age of 35 or in upper socio-professional categories. Italy tops the list here with 55% of respondents, followed by Spain (52%), France (46%), the UK (46%), Germany (41%), Portugal (39%) and Belgium (29%).
A growing divide between driver and car
The Observatory confirmed that the economic crisis has led drivers to seriously rethink their relationship with their car. In 2011, 56% of respondents "completely agree" that a car allows them to be free and independent, down from 58% last year and 62% in 2009.
Similarly, fewer claim to like having their own car: 88% on average in 2011, down from 90% in 2010 and 93% in 2009. The sentiment among Spanish drivers dropped 5 points (from 93% in 2009 to 88% in 2011), while the UK dropped 3 points to 93%. In Portugal, the proportion went from 81% "completely agree" in 2009 to 68% in 2011. In fact, only France and Italy were roughly stable in the two-year period, at 54% and 39-40%"completely agree" respectively.
While car rental remains an attractive alternative to ownership, cars available in "self-service" are poised for success in urban areas
What alternative means of transportation would Europeans use if they don't drive their cars? The survey reveals that 84% of respondents would turn to public transportation (bus, subway, tram), with Spanish drivers showing particular interest in this area (88%). For individual motorized transportation, car rental was the most popular alternative at 50% -- and even 61% in Spain -- followed by car pooling (49%), two-wheeled motor vehicles (36%), and cars available in self service (35%). Cycling was also popular, with 84% of Germans and 77% of the Belgians saying they would turn to a bicycle for their transportation needs when feasible.
Car rental is seen as a good way to adapt the vehicle to specific needs by 46% of drivers in Europe overall, 50% in Germany and Spain, and even 53% in Portugal. If 41% of Europeans consider rental to be a practical service, that figure rises to 55% in Spain. For 37% of Europeans, rental is more ecological than ownership (41% in Italy) and 35% see it as more economical than ownership (42% each in Italy and Spain).
The survey revealed that new services to make the rental process even more practical, such as booking and finding the nearest rental car by mobile phone, and payment by the hour or even minute, would make some 57% of Europeans overall and 61% of urban residents even more likely to rent a car.
Survey Methodology
IPSOS conducted the survey via Internet in March 2011, among 6122 car owners constituting a representative sample in terms of age, gender and region of each country: Belgium (509 respondents), France (1022), Germany (1029), Italy (1019), Portugal (509), Spain (1004) and UK (1030).
About Europcar
Europcar is the leader in car rental services in Europe. Present in 150 countries, the company provides customers with access to the world's largest vehicle rental network through its own operations, franchisees and partnerships. Through Europcar's portfolio of brands, the company and its franchisees generated more than €3 billion in revenue in 2010, including nearly €2 billion in consolidated revenue. With 6,500 employees committed to delivering customer satisfaction and an average fleet of close to 200,000 vehicles, Europcar is conscious of its corporate citizenship responsibilities. Winner of the first World Travel Award recognizing the World's Leading Green Transport Solutions Company, Europcar also was honored with the Award in 2010, the second time it was presented. Europcar is owned by French investment company, Eurazeo.
For more information: www.europcar.com/corporate
Media Contacts for More Information:
Europcar International-Corporate Communications
Marine Boulot / Nathalie Poujol
Tel. +33 (0)1 30 44 98 82
Europcarpressoffice@europcar.com
Burson-Marsteller Paris
Lorie Lichtlen / Helene Boulanger
Tel : +33 (0)1 41 86 76 76
1 Chronos is a research firm specializing in sociology and innovation, and focusing on four main areas: mobility, territories, digital and daily life.