Would you sacrifice the range, performance, size and even price of a vehicle in order to lower its emissions? It appears that most Europeans would.
A survey of 26,000 people in all 27 EU member states found that two thirds (68 per cent) of EU citizens would compromise on a car’s speed to reduce emissions; 62 per cent would compromise on size; 56 per cent said the same about its range; and even 54 per cent said they would be willing to pay more.
The countries willing to make the largest compromises on speed, size and range were Cyprus, Luxembourg, Greece and France; with the first three also leading the way in terms of their willingness to pay more too.
Cars are still the main mode of transport for a slim majority of EU citizens at 53 per cent; while one in five use public transport. Men are the most likely to get around in a car on a daily basis at 59 per cent compared to 47 per cent of women. Around half of the EU citizens surveyed said they would support pay-as-you-drive schemes to replace existing car charges, with around 16 per cent agreeing strongly with the proposal; although around three in 10 disagreed with the suggestion.
Other factors covered by the survey included why car users don’t use public transport, with 71 per cent suggesting it was not as convenient and 72 per cent saying connections were a problem. Around 64 per cent mentioned a low frequency of services and 54 per cent believe public transport is not reliable.
Where do you stand on these issues? Would you pay more to lower a vehicle’s emissions and what are your views on public transport? Leave a comment below with your thoughts.
