Among intending new vehicle buyers over the next four years, there is an increasing level of interest in alternative fuels to petrol.
The share of new vehicle sales in Australia in 2017 (VFACTS) that had petrol engines was 75.3%. Research by Roy Morgan with intending buyers over the next four years shows that only 61.9% think that their next vehicle will most likely have a petrol engine.
Alternatives to petrol all showed higher preference levels among intenders compared to their share of current sales, with diesel 5.3% points higher on 29.2%, Hybrid (petrol and electric) higher by 4.7% points (to 5.2%), fully electric higher by 3.0% points (to 3.1%) and LPG 0.6% higher (to 0.6%).
Norman Morris, Industry Communications Director, Roy Morgan says, “Over the last decade or more, there has been considerable growth in the new vehicle market but this is now facing the real challenge of rapidly changing technologies with the resultant fuel preferences. Most manufacturers are ramping up their development in areas such as electric vehicles and driverless cars but it will ultimately be the consumer that will determine who the winners are.
“We have already seen some early signs of changes in this industry, particularly in the very rapid changes in fuel preferences, the move aware from cars to SUVs and the speed and range of new models entering the market.
“Roy Morgan has been collecting and analysing a wide range of automotive data for many years across all the major manufacturers and as a result have a database uniquely suited to tracking consumer behaviour and attitudes in this fast changing industry.”
Source: “What type of fuel or engine type is your next vehicle most likely to be?” – Roy Morgan Single Source Survey (Australia), January 2017 – December 2017, Australians 14+ intending to purchase a new car within the next four years who answered yes to one of the fuel / engine types, n=928
