High Energy Prices: People Are Worried about the Affordability of Their Mobility

The Continental Mobility Study 2022 reveals that cars are the big winner in the pandemic - and are set to remain the most important means of mobility in its wake.

People are increasingly worried about the affordability of their mobility. This is one of the key findings of the Mobility Study 2022, published by Continental in June this year. Generally high inflation rates and above all the rapid rise in energy prices are threatening to put the brakes on the transformation of mobility in Germany. Sustainability, specifically about cars, is becoming increasingly relevant to most German citizens. By this, only 44 percent of Germans surveyed expect the future of mobility to be electric. For a narrow majority of people in Germany, however, environmentally-friendly mobility is not currently viewed as a priority against the backdrop of high electricity, gasoline, and diesel fuel prices. In addition, more than half of those surveyed in Germany will no longer be able to afford to drive if the price of gasoline exceeds €2.80 per liter (approximately Rs 225/liter). Cost is on people's minds when it comes to switching to climate-friendly mobility as well: half of the respondents are not prepared to spend more on an environmentally friendly vehicle than on a conventional one. At the same time, almost half (43 percent) indicate the high costs as a reason against specifically purchasing an electric vehicle. In the opinion of a vast majority, governments should therefore do more through subsidies, for instance - to ensure a rise in the proportion of emission-free vehicles and, above all, to ensure that mobility remains affordable overall. Policymakers must create the framework conditions required to achieve this - these expectations are made quite clear by those who took part in the mobility study.