Deloitte study: price, quality and performance, the main criteria in choosing a car. Electric vehicles are back in consumer preferences after two years of decline

Price is the main criterion in choosing the next car for consumers in Germany (54%) and Japan (52%), product quality is a priority for those in the UK (60%), Southeast Asia (59%), USA, and India (58%), and vehicle performance for those in China (40%) and Korea (54%), according to the Deloitte 2026 Global Automotive Consumer Study. On the other hand, participants in the study are willing to pay extra for safety features, such as emergency assistance in the event of an accident – more than 70% of consumers in India, China and South Korea – or anti-theft tracking – 83% of consumers in Southeast Asia, about two-thirds of British and American buyers, and more than half of Germans.

Regarding preferred powertrains, this year has seen a slight comeback in the interest in electric cars, following the decline observed over the past two years, amid debates about the effectiveness of environmental policies on the global economy. However, internal combustion engines continue to dominate consumer preferences in the US (61%), Southeast Asia (53%), India (50%) and Germany (49%).

For those who choose an electric car, low fuel cost is the main reason in South Korea, USA, Southeast Asia and UK, environmental protection ranks first only in Germany, while in India the electric car is preferred as a life experience, and in China for faster charging speed and longer range.

The top concerns regarding battery-powered electric vehicles remain the driving range, battery safety, lack of public charging infrastructure, and charging time.

"The revert of interest in electric cars shows that the transition to zero-emission mobility remains a defining priority of the automotive industry, both globally and in the European Union. However, amid current economic and geopolitical challenges, manufacturers are focusing, among other actions, on expanding their hybrid vehicle portfolios. In the EU, for example, hybrid electric car registrations accounted for nearly 35% of the market in 2025 (up 6% year-on-year), while the market share of gasoline and diesel vehicles fell to 35.5%, from 45% in 2024, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association. However, the European automotive sector remains under pressure compared to Asian competitors, in particular, which are rapidly advancing in the electric cars segment, but also in the adoption of cutting-edge digital technologies that transform cars into smart, connected platforms, with access to updates that can enhance their performance even after the acquisition," said Bogdan Barbu, Tax Partner, and Automotive Industry Leader, Deloitte Romania.

More than half of consumers in Asian markets (except Japan) expressed an interest to use AI-enabled customization features that automatically adjust in-vehicle settings. In contrast, in Germany, 42% of consumers are unlikely to use such features.

Software-defined vehicles, which enable continuous updates, customizations and advanced autonomy throughout the cars’ lifetime, are also considered useful by consumers in the same Asian economies but are classified as rather useless in Germany (40%) and Japan (36%).

As a result, more than two-thirds of consumers in Asian countries are willing to pay extra (up to 10% of the vehicle's value) for the over-the-air update capability, while around 40% of Germans, British and Americans do not agree to pay extra for such function, suggesting it should be part of the standard features.

At the same time, more than half of consumers said they would keep the vehicle for a longer period (by two to five years) if they received regular over-the-air updates, which add new features, improve the safety or performance of the car.

On the other hand, consumers remain concerned about sharing connected-vehicle data, including information from synced devices (contacts, messages, login details, etc.), in-cabin cameras or vehicle location.

The Deloitte 2026 Global Automotive Consumer Study was conducted among approximately 28,500 consumers in 27 countries, including nine European states – Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.

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