2022 Global Automotive Consumer Study

Belgium remains on trend with consumers increasingly considering buying an electric or hybrid vehicle. Yet many remain skeptical about the positive impact of fully electric vehicles on the environment, and cost of fuel remains the most important factor. Personal vehicles remain the preferred mobility choice, with consumers prefer to buy their car physically in a store, although a significant minority are using shared mobility solutions on a regular basis.

Gaining popularity, rapidly
 

While 48% of Belgian consumers plan to buy an electric vehicle next, compared to 33% last year, only 10% prefer a fully electric vehicle, which is in line with our neighbouring countries.

The cost of fuel is a strong motivator
 

Nearly one in two Belgians who plan to acquire an electric vehicle say that they would rethink that decision if the price of electricity would be similar to the price of fossil fuels. This highlights that costs remains a key barrier that could dissuade consumers from making the switch to more sustinable mobility.

The comfort of our home
 

Charging their vehicle at home remains the preferred option for Belgian consumers, compared to a significantly lower but rising number of people who would make use of the public charging infrastructure.

There are three common barriers to charging at home: the lack of possibility to install an EV charger, the cost of installation, and the lack of knowledge about how to install an EV charger. 

Alternative energy sources
 

The Belgians who plan to charge their vehicle at home are more inclined than their peers in our neighbouring countries to use an alternative energy source, such as solar panels.

In-store buying rules over online shopping
 

The majority of Belgians prefer to go to a store to buy their car. For the ones that choose online, convenience, speed of transaction, and ease of use are the main reasons. In 2021, 20% listed health reasons as one of the drivers to buy online, down to 10% in 2022.

The desire to negotiate the price, the possibility to ask a real person questions, and the personal contact in case something might go wrong are the main reasons for in-store shopping. 

The car remains king
 

The comfort and convenience of a car make it the favourite mode of transport. Only 7% of Belgians say that they never use a car, while 26% never use public transport.

Multimodal mobility, meaning the use of multiple transport means in one trip, is emerging but not yet fully established and for now mainly an upcoming urban trend. Six out of 10 Belgian consumers opt for multimodal mobility at least a couple of times per year, while only 4% daily.