Vehicle user study: Declining brand loyalty is a challenge for vehicle manufacturers
Acceptance of e-vehicles still limited
Asahi Kasei's latest global study provides insights into the brand loyalty and purchasing behavior of car users in the four most important automotive markets of China, Germany, the USA and Japan. It also provides background information on the reasons for consumers' reluctance to switch to electric cars.
In its fifth annual survey, Japanese technology company Asahi Kasei asked car users in the four major automotive markets about brand loyalty and the main motivations for buying electric vehicles (EVs). The results of the latest survey confirm the trend of recent years: brand loyalty is fluctuating worldwide in the face of intensifying competition, new manufacturers and changing customer needs. More than half of respondents in Germany and the USA plan to switch brands when buying their next car. Customers in China in particular are remarkably open to switching car brands: 79% stated that they would opt for a model from another manufacturer.
Young users are happy to switch
Looking at the different age groups, it is clear that Generation Z respondents (born between 1995 and 2010) have the lowest level of brand loyalty. This indicates that loyalty to a particular car brand is low, especially among young customers. For a turnaround, car manufacturers and suppliers need to understand the needs of end customers and find ways to differentiate themselves from the increasing competition. When asked about the most annoying factors in their current car, car users in all four regions named "high fuel consumption", "too little storage space" and "too much noise when driving". This is also reflected in the main motivation for switching car brands, with a third of respondents in Germany and the USA citing "quality aspects" as an important factor.
Rising image of premium brands
In addition, "running costs" are an important motive in all markets. In China, the "desire to try something new" is the most important incentive for switching to another vehicle brand - especially premium brands. This coincides with the purchasing influence of the "rising brand image" of established premium car manufacturers in contrast to volume manufacturers, which are currently losing market share in China.
Since the first survey in 2020, fuel/power efficiency and operating costs have been the most influential factors in the purchasing process. It is noteworthy that the results for all features influencing the purchase decision have remained the same in every survey.
Consent only grew slowly
Stimulated by government subsidies, technological improvements and a growing network of charging stations, the market share of pure electric vehicles has slowly grown in recent years, especially in Western markets and in China. 69 percent of respondents in China stated that it is "likely" or "very likely" that the next car will have an all-electric drive. Compared to 2020, however, the willingness to buy an electric vehicle has not changed significantly. While it has risen by six and eight percentage points in China and Germany respectively, there has been a decline of 14 percentage points in the USA. The end of government subsidies and the high cost of electric vehicles are key factors behind this consumer sentiment at the end of 2023.
Battery performance and range
These results show that further technological progress needs to be made to convince the majority of vehicle users to buy an electric vehicle. In addition to cost considerations, further advances in battery performance, durability and safety are needed to improve the uptake of electric vehicles in all major regions. The main reasons for switching to an electric vehicle vary from region to region: while range is the most important factor for car users in Germany, 34% of respondents in the US prioritize battery life.
Meanwhile, 34 percent of non-EV owners in China see improved safety as the main reason for buying an electric vehicle.
In December 2023, Asahi Kasei surveyed a total of 4,158 car users in the four core automotive markets via online interview: Germany (1,074), USA (1,077), China (1,007) and Japan (1,000). Since its first edition in 2019, the survey has been conducted in collaboration with the Cologne-based market research institute Skopos. Asahi Kasei Corporation is a global technology group with three business divisions: Material, Homes and Health Care. The Material Division comprises fibers and textiles, petrochemicals, high-performance polymers and materials, consumer goods, battery separators and electronic devices.
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