Navigating through the CO2 reduction puzzle: As approx. 20% of global CO2-emissions refer to the road transportation sector it does not surprise that the EU is heading towards a legislation to reduce emissions. At the same time consumers are not willing to pay more for "environmental friendly" cars. These are the main results of this study which was performed by PwC´s Automotive Institute analysts by surveying 500 car drivers and interviewing external experts from industry, government, science, and associations in Germany.
A regulation must confront vehicle manufacturers with a difficult but manageable challenge. Therefore a differentiated approach is required as an institutional threshold would distort competition. Manufacturers will need to explore all technological options to meet emission targets: Further development of proven powertrain concepts, increased usage of alternative fuels or total vehicle optimisation concepts.
The study reveals that most consumers rate climate change and CO2 emissions as problematic but at the same time are not willing to actively change their behaviour accordingly or pay a premium for "green" technologies. To succeed in the marketplace manufacturers need to lower cost of climate-friendly technologies to a competitive level and raise customer acceptance by selective marketing.
