Australians still plan to buy new vehicles at near-record levels, but a new survey finds a subtle change in the type of fuel they want that purchase to use.
The Roy Morgan survey finds 2.26 million Australians say they intend to purchase a new vehicle in the next four years, down slightly from 2.29 million at the same time last year.
One-year buying intentions are up 7.7% at 614,000.
What is changing is the choice of fuels, with intending buyers looking at alternatives to gasoline.
Australia’s share of new-vehicle sales with gasoline engines last year was 75.3%. Among intending buyers over the next four years, only 61.9% think their next vehicle most likely will be gasoline-powered.
Roy Morgan reports it found the preference for diesel was 5.3 points higher at 29.2%; hybrid (gasoline and electric) rose 4.7 points to 5.2%; all-electric sparked 3.0 points higher to 3.1%; and liquid propane gas edged up to 0.6%.
Roy Morgan Communications Director Norman Morris says the new-vehicle market is challenged by rapidly changing technologies and, with this, new fuel preferences.
“Most manufacturers are ramping up their development in areas such as electric vehicles and driverless cars, but it will ultimately be the consumer that will determine who the winners are,” he says in a statement.
