Shanghai, January 27 (Gasgoo.com) Auto buyers in China show greater interest in alternative-energy vehicles such as hybrids than buyers in Japan and the U.S., according to a recent international survey (of 1,000 people per country) by Survey Sampling International (SSI), canadiandriver.com reported today.
Half of the Chinese buyers polled who expressed interested said they will definitely select an eco-car for their next auto purchase. In comparison, one-quarter of Japanese respondents said they would definitely buy an alternative energy vehicle, while only 14% of Americans said they would.
This higher interest shown by Chinese buyers in new-energy vehicles could be due in part to China's taxation policies which encourage energy efficiency, emission discharge reduction, and environmental protection by enterprises and individuals alike, SSI said.
As to decisive factors for buying an eco-car, 39.6% of Chinese said the maker was the most important; 29.5% said body type. Among U.S. buyers, 32.6% said maker, and 21.4% said body type. In Japan, 30.6% said the car's price was most important, while 23.1% cited the vehicle's maker.
In China, buyers aged 40-49 years had the most interest, at 52.6%, while those aged 18-29 years had the least interest, at 47.4%. Younger buyers had the most interest in the U.S., with those aged 18-29 having the most interest at 16%.
In China, the top desired vehicle was an Audi sedan. Buyers in Japan and the U.S. cited Toyota as the eco-vehicle brand they would most want to buy, with Japanese preferring a minivan, and Americans a sedan.
