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Carrying purposes

The carrying purposes may also define the suitable size of a vehicle. From a mini car to an SUV selection, the variation in fuel consumption and pollutant emissions is broad. For example, for an individual traveller, a compact car with the possibility of carrying an additional person is a good choice. A bigger car requires more fuel and therefore it costs more to use it. In the case that the consumer is planning on transporting several people, sport equipment or even children’s car seats, they should consider a mid-size passenger car or van. A car that is too small will probably create frustration and will not be the best ‘fit-for-purpose purchase’. A small car can also result in excessive pollutant emissions as the vehicle engine will operate outside of its optimum load.

Charging options

In the case of electrified vehicles, the availability of charging points is also important. Charging infrastructure depends on local factors and can be a problem sometimes. A study showed that of the 144,000 EV charging points available across the EU in 2019, 76% of them were located in 4 just countries, in the Netherlands, Germany, France and the United Kingdom, covering a 27% of the EU’s total surface area (ACEA, 2019). The possibility of charging at home will certainly make the user to feel more comfortable when the charging time comes. The electric range of the vehicle will also play a role in the purchasing decision, especially in areas with limited infrastructure. It is expected however that with a higher penetration of electrified vehicles this problem will be solved very soon.


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Vehicle selection ‘fit-for-purpose purchase’


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Consumers’ purchasing decisions do not always match with their needs for mobility. Although cost – both for purchasing or leasing, as well as for maintenance – is still one of the decisive factors, other factors such as modern lifestyle, luxury, even driving pleasure have impact on car choice. Even though many consumers nowadays are more conscious of the environment, their motivation to save money is also strong.

There is a wide range of vehicles available to consumers, each with its own size, style, performance, and technology. Different vehicles may perform very differently in real-world driving conditions depending on the intended use. Different drivers have different demands from their vehicles. Driving short or longer distances, urban or highway, commuting to work on going on holidays, define the expectations from the vehicle. Such considerations must be made before getting a new or used car to make a ‘fit-for-purpose purchase’. Here are some useful guidelines:


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Type of trips

One of the most critical parameters when choosing a vehicle, is the type of trips that the vehicle will be used for. For example, if someone primarily drives between home and work with high congestion then a PHEV may be a better choice than a conventional ICE vehicle. PHEVs offer the potential of reducing GHG emissions and improve local air pollution if they are driven mainly on electricity. However, it has been observed in many cases that consumers are “lazy” when it comes to regular charging, relying more on the internal combustion engine. In addition to the obvious impact on local air quality and they also consume more fuel. Perhaps, HEV are better choices in these cases (ICCT, 2020b). Unlike traditional cars, hybrids consume less fuel for a larger distance, meaning that they have better fuel economy. This is happening mostly due to the regenerative braking which harnesses the energy generated during braking and return it to the battery. Thus, this makes hybrids suitable for urban driving, where stops and starts take place frequently.

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In contrast to this, there are consumers driving high shares of highway kilometres. In this case, a vehicle that combines better comfort with good fuel economy under higher speeds might be the best option.

In the cases of “off-road” type of trips, such as driving in dirty roads, soft sand, slippery roads, deep mud, ascents and descents, a crossover with all-wheel drive would be a good choice. However, all-wheel drive is correlated with different wheel and tyre specifications than for urban purposes. For example, the wheels are typically bigger, which increases the rolling resistance and deteriorates the emission performance of the vehicle.

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