A future marked by price hikes

Price rises are not just an issue today, as these look set to continue in the future. For consumers, there is little hope of the situation improving over the next few years as far as motoring costs are concerned. However, a slight shift in opinion can be noted, with car maintenance becoming the expense about which they are most concerned when it comes to price rises. 8 out of 10 people are of this view, with the Turks and Mexicans once again being the most fearful of this possibility, while the Chinese remain the most relaxed. It is quite paradoxical to see maintenance at the top of this list, given that we will be looking at an entirely electric automotive world in the not-too-distant future. Indeed, electric vehicles are said to have inherently lower maintenance costs. Either motorists are not fully aware of this, or this electric future does not seem to them to be quite so close (see part 3). In any case, there appears to be a certain amount of confusion on this issue.

Having been struck by recent price increases across the board, three-quarters of motorists place rising car prices as their second biggest worry. Consumers in Turkey and Mexico are again the most likely to express concern in this area, while the Chinese once more demonstrate the greatest degree of serenity. A similar proportion of people also expect an increase in the cost of fuel, with the Netherlands joining the traditionally more pessimistic countries in this respect.

Lastly, we should note that the rise in the price of used cars sits at the bottom of the ranking (Fig.3). However, on this question, the French share the concerns of the Turks and Mexicans, albeit to a more moderate degree.