The car you drive says a lot about you. In this modern age – a time when driverless cars are a reality – perhaps it is true traditional definitions no longer apply.
That person behind the pickup truck isn’t always a blue collar construction worker – just as often it’s the busy mother of three, hauling footie equipment around. The person behind the sports car isn’t always a young lad with a freshly minted license – just as often it’s the 60-year-old bloke making the best of his retirement. Who knew?
Looking at the actual demographics of drivers is an enlightening experience. We recently took a closer look at what kind of drivers were purchasing hybrid cars, for instance. The answer might surprise you.
According to the latest number crunch, roughly 45% of all hybrid vehicle owners are 56-years-old and above. On the other side of the aisle, only 26% of electric car buyers fell within this age bracket. Upon closer inspection, nearly 55% of electric owners were between the ages of 36 & 55.
Despite less variance in age, hybrids are responsible for 98% of alternative-powered automobiles. That trend perhaps looks to change in the coming years however, as recently electric vehicles have sold at an astounding rate of 245%.
What has attributed to the immense success of hybrid cars is the great variety of luxury options. Luxury companies are more committed to making eco-friendly options, changing the modern definition of a luxury car. It’s not uncommon to see BMW hybrid cars driving along highways throughout the world.
The influx of hybrid vehicles stems from Asian automakers, currently shaping the market in a big way. The price tag still seems to be a hurdle for some car buyers – hybrid owners took out an average loan of £19,378 financing payments of £394 per month. Ultimately, electric car owners borrowed roughly £1435 more dollars on option to finance their vehicles.
So what does it all mean? Alternative fuel sources are essentially part of the fabric of the mainstream, following many years of availability through the market. The next logical evolution in hybrid cars is tapping into luxury – considering these cars are an investment to begin with, adding additional features seems like a natural step.
It could be years before electric cars are common among a more diverse audience, being relatively new faces to the automobile market. It remains to be seen whether electric producers like Tesla will continue to surge in popularity.
