If you thought that the surging popularity of green cars was all down to drivers looking to save a bit of cash, then it might be time to re-evaluate. After all, market research firm Synovate has released a study showing that nearly six in 10 people would choose to buy a green car over a dream car, even if money were no object.

The survey, which was conducted in 18 markets including the United Kingdom and the USA, asked more than 13,500 people to forget about money and decide whether they would buy green, dream or in between.

The top answer, across all 18 markets, was to buy a green car – 37 per cent of respondents gave this response. Around 30 per cent said they would buy their dream car, while 22 per cent claimed that “my dream car is a green car” – showing that 59 per cent have the desire to go green.

Additional findings in the survey included that Germans are the most likely to opt for a green car with 58 per cent choosing one ahead of a dream car. The biggest result for dream cars came in South Africa where 53 per cent admitted they would prefer a fantasy vehicle over a green one.

The survey was conducted in March 2009 and included: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States of America (USA).