Acatech Mobility Monitor: Significant Reservations About E-Mobility - Transition Too Slow

According to the "acatech Mobility Monitor," a representative Allensbach survey commissioned by the German Academy of Science and Engineering, Germans see five changes in transportation among the ten most important levers for climate protection – foremost among them, the expansion of public transportation (71%). The 49-euro ticket is positively rated by a two-thirds majority of respondents. One in four can imagine buying an electric vehicle. The survey shows a willingness to change, but also reservations – with significant differences between city and countryside, east and west, rich and poor. Climate protection in transportation will only progress faster if technological innovations go hand in hand with better framework conditions for the mobility of people and goods – and if both are accepted by the population, the authors state. The representative Mobility Monitor has been tracking developments in the population's mobility behavior, willingness to change, and acceptance of electromobility for the fourth year.

"With our survey, we want to bring a differentiated public opinion, that is, people's perspectives and their life realities, into the debates about the mobility of tomorrow. Many people in our country are very intensively thinking about their possibilities to change their mobility behavior. Nevertheless, the car remains indispensable for many people, especially in smaller cities and rural areas. Their future expectations for mobility in 10 years differ greatly from their current needs. Politics, business, and science must find answers to this," demands Renate Köcher, Managing Director of the Allensbach Institute for Public Opinion Research and acatech Senator.

From her point of view, the survey particularly highlights the strong belief in "technological progress." It also shows that change is progressing slowly, raising the question of whether this pace is compatible with the time frames set by climate protection targets. After all, even among the minority who can imagine switching to public transportation, millions of citizens are represented. According to Köcher, price is the most significant lever here, especially for current public transportation users. Köcher also emphasized the significant discrepancy between expectations and desires, particularly stark in electromobility, which two-thirds expect but only one-fifth desire. The "technology openness," where the state only sets environmental guidelines, is also supported by a broad majority. It is alarming that interest in electromobility is not increasing but rather stagnating and even slightly declining. Above all, concerns about the actual environmental impact are substantial.

"However, Germans are not hostile to innovation. They also jump on a topic when it brings them advantages," Köcher differentiated.

The current assessment, based on a representative population survey, shows from the authors' perspective that climate protection does not take a backseat for the population even in the current crisis environment and that they assign the transportation sector a key role in reducing climate burdens. They particularly rely on expanding public transportation (71%), increasing the shift of freight transport to rail and waterways (67%), low-emission drive systems (63%), and alternative fuels such as hydrogen (62%). The values have increased compared to similar questions in the years 2019-2021. Sixty-one percent are convinced that technological progress can generally make a significant contribution to climate protection.

Pandemic as a Break, but Return to Old Patterns - Bicycle Takes the Lead

The pandemic temporarily changed the mobility of the population significantly. However, many still want to use the bicycle more in the future (30 percent), with nearly one in five wanting to use the car less. The car remains by far the most important means of transport: 47 percent use the car daily, another 23 percent several times a week; the bicycle is used daily by 18 percent, and another 25 percent several times a week. The bicycle is increasingly being used frequently, while the use of the car is slightly declining. For 72 percent of the population, the car is indispensable, followed by the bicycle (51%) and public transportation (42%).

There are significant differences between urban and rural areas. 23 percent of car users see public transport as a serious alternative to their vehicle. In East Germany, it is even lower at 17 percent. In villages, this value is lowest at 14 percent—but even in large cities, buses and trains are only a serious alternative for 30 percent. However, there is a considerable willingness among the population to use public transport more if the prices and frequencies of the services become more attractive. 48 percent of the population, 52 percent of regular users, currently consider public transport to be expensive. The 49-euro ticket is welcomed by 64 percent of respondents.

The E-Car Is Not Making Progress: Stagnation in Willingness

The proportion of people for whom the purchase of an e-car is fundamentally an option is stagnant at 23 percent. Since 2019, the value has fluctuated between 21 and 24 percent. The main reservations from the population’s perspective are a high purchase price (71%), too few charging stations (64%), expensive electricity (62%), and doubts about the environmental balance (60%). Only 12 percent see the lack of a typical driving experience in e-cars as a problem.

Overall, the expectations and wishes of the population diverge: A majority is convinced that electric drives will prevail in the next ten years, but only 22 percent consider it desirable. 68 percent believe that we will increasingly work from home or on the go in ten years—but only 36 percent wish for that.

62 percent expect city center closures, but only 26 percent support this development. Only regarding the expansion of public transport and the optimization of traffic flow through the use of digitalization do expectations and wishes align.

"The survey clearly shows that many people want a mobility transition and climate-friendly transportation, but need practical solutions that fit their personal and very diverse individual as well as regional needs. It's not enough to just win people over to pre-made solutions. They need to be heard, asked, and centrally involved in the on-site design. Sustainable mobility can only succeed if all people understand themselves as carriers of change and are committed," explains Jan Wörner, acatech President.