Dena Survey: More Support for CO2 Levies and Combustion Engine Ban

According to a survey conducted by the German Energy Agency (dena), a majority of Germans have shown openness to changes in political measures in the transportation sector. According to the survey, about 70 percent of respondents consider differentiating the purchase price of cars based on their CO2 emissions as a suitable instrument to reduce CO2 emissions from cars. The introduction of such a "bonus-malus system" would mean lower costs when purchasing vehicles with low emission values. In contrast, vehicles that emit a lot of carbon dioxide would become more expensive. Various bonus-malus models are already established in neighboring countries like France and the Netherlands.

Adjustment of vehicle tax effective - and very high fuel prices

More than a quarter of supporters and critics of such a system believe that further adjusting vehicle tax to the CO2 emissions of cars is an effective instrument. About one-fifth of both groups can envision the introduction of a maximum value for permissible CO2 emissions. A significant increase in fuel prices is considered an effective measure by 14 percent and 7 percent, respectively.

Other survey results show that a steering effect would only be expected after a significant increase in fuel prices: Almost two-thirds of respondents would only switch to a vehicle with an alternative drive or use their own vehicle less frequently if fuel prices were two euros or more. One in five would change their mobility behavior only at a fuel price of 2.50 euros. The survey also shows that 70 percent of consumers tend to purchase a vehicle with an alternative drive when fuel prices are high.

"The survey results show once again that the willingness to pay for fuel for one's own car is very high and well above the current fuel price level. The incentive to buy fuel-saving cars or to be more efficient in mobility can therefore only be set through further-reaching, long-term-oriented push-and-pull measures," comments Andreas Kuhlmann, CEO of dena.

A purchase premium for cars is only a short-term impulse. In Kuhlmann's view, significantly stronger price signals for emission-intensive fuels and fuel-guzzling vehicles are needed to continuously reduce emissions in traffic. At the same time, public transport and bicycle offers must become even more attractive to facilitate switching to the environmental network, the dena chief demands. 

Support for combustion engine ban increases

Although 74 percent of respondents reject a general ban on vehicles with combustion engines, the proportion of supporters is growing: 25 percent of respondents can imagine a general ban on gasoline and diesel vehicles, compared to only 18 percent in 2019. Of those supporting such a ban, nearly half (47 percent) consider 2030 a sensible exit date for new cars with combustion engines.

Environmental bonus: More support for natural gas and fuel cell

The federal government's environmental bonus receives mixed reviews: Only 36 percent favor the current design of the purchase premium. Critics of the purchase subsidy particularly complain that only certain technology is supported. 93 percent of critics want stronger support for fuel cell/hydrogen cars; 28 percent indicated that natural gas cars should also be supported.

That the environmental bonus is funded by taxpayers was criticized by 16 percent. Supporters consider the environmental bonus a good political measure because it promotes climate-friendly cars. The environmental bonus subsidizes buyers of electric vehicles with a net list price of up to 60,000 euros. Currently, there are hardly any models with fuel cell/hydrogen drive that meet these requirements. The environmental bonus is valid until December 31, 2025.

The survey was conducted by the Forsa Institute for Social Research and Statistical Analysis (Forsa) as part of dena's project "Redesign, Development, and Operation of a Central Information Platform for the Energy Transition in Road Transport" in November 2020. A total of 1,002 German-speaking individuals aged 18 and older living in private households were interviewed by telephone.