HANOVER: Even well after the pandemic subsides, people are still likely to go by car rather than bus, train or sharing services, according to an international survey that shows cars regaining their status as the preferred mode of transport.
Participants in the survey said their own car is likely to remain the preferred means of transport for them even after the pandemic, while public transport and ride-sharing services being less accepted.
Some 2,600 consumers in the US, China and Germany told pollsters from the consultancy PwC Strategy that when it comes to the daily commute, individual mobility would still be increasingly important, even after pandemic restrictions are lifted.
In Germany, some 31 per cent of respondents said they would use their cars more often than in the past. Nothing will change for 45 per cent of those polled, while 24 per cent said they would scale back the use of their cars.
As the pandemic rages on, some are mulling alternative transport options, with 33 per cent of respondents considering cycling, and 32 per cent opting to walk.
Some 64 per cent of respondents said they were less willing to take public transport, however. Willingness to use cabs and services such as Uber was down 76 per cent, car-sharing services by 77 per cent and other sharing services down by 79 per cent.
People in the US and China felt the same way - and said they were even more likely to use cars in the future than respondents in Germany.
In China, though, people still felt they would be more willing to use car-sharing services.
It's too early to say that the pandemic will change everything, according to Christoph Stuermer, an industry expert at PwC. But the pandemic will have an impact on people's mobility choices, he added.
One big reason for that is fear of infection from sharing a space with other passengers.
More than half of German respondents said basically they were open to using public transport but that it would need to be cleaned and disinfected regularly or fares should be reduced.
Respondents in the US and China felt the same way - willing to opt for public transport under the same conditions.
The trouble is that this reduced preparedness to take local public transport because of the virus could lead to higher carbon emissions, environmentalists say.
And some are thinking of buying a new car - 21 per cent of respondents in Germany, 44 per cent in the US and 76 per cent in China.
There was great interest in subscription models in China, with 65 per cent willing to consider this, compared to only 8 per cent in Germany.
The consultants also polled people on technology trends such as electric mobility, networking and autonomous driving.
Only in China - especially among younger people - are electric or hybrid engines the most popular type of drive.
In Germany and particularly in the US, petrol and diesel engines are still the most popular.
Everybody wanted more internet in their cars, however, partly due to increased demand for digital services amid the pandemic. So far, though, consumers have been reluctant to spend much money in this area.
When it comes to autonomous driving, Chinese customers were more open to this than Germans and Americans - but the latter said maybe, if the technology associated with risks is limited to low speeds.
Overall, autonomous driving tech is developing much more slowly than many manufacturers expected.
