SA shuns 'green' cars

Johannesburg - South Africans would rather buy a petrol-guzzling dream car than a "green" model, because owning a vehicle is a huge status symbol in this country.

This is the finding in the global survey conducted by Synovate, which asked respondents what they would buy if money were no object.

Roger Gibbs, director of vehicle-related customer services at Synovate South Africa, says that South Africans regard a car as a symbol that one can look after a family. Thus a vehicle's environmental friendliness is neither a consideration nor a status symbol.

Synovate reports that in all the countries that participated in the survey South Africa was the only one where fewer than half the respondents chose the green option. A high 57% of South African women prefer to select their dream car, compared with 50% of the South African men.

A total of 13 500 people from 18 markets participated in the survey. Almost 6 out of 10 of all respondents chose a green vehicle and 22% even declared a green car to be their dream car. Only South Africans with Internet access took part.

The South African vehicle-purchasing market is very different from other global markets, explains Gibbs. Here there's a large number of people buying a car for the first time. A car is an emotional purchase, and huge value is attached to a brand name, mobility and having your own transport - this is a consequence of our past.

"As the market becomes more mature, a shift will take place," says Gibbs. But he can't say when this will happen

Gibbs pointed out that the South African government has already taken steps in the right direction. Plans are on the table for tax benefits when one buys a greener vehicle, as well as for the upgrading of our fuel to make its more environmentally friendly.

The South African government has also funded the development of this country's first fully electric vehicle, the Joule, by Optimal Energy. - Sake24.com For more business stories in Afrikaans, go to Sake24.com