The upcoming review of CO2 standards for cars and vans presents a critical opportunity to enable a wider set of drivetrain technologies and truly align the pace of climate policies with citizen expectations.
- Citizens’ preferred option (47%) is to incentivise low and zero-emission vehicles over a technology ban
- Only 8% of consumers plan to buy a battery-electric vehicle (BEV) as their next car
The average consumer surveyed rejects an automotive technology ban, is considering a range of powertrain options for their next vehicle, and sees further preparation as necessary for full electrification. These are the core findings from a new YouGov poll of citizens across five major markets (France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Spain; together more than 70% of the EU automotive market). For policymakers, the upcoming review of CO2 standards for cars and vans presents a critical opportunity to enable a wider set of drivetrain technologies and truly align the pace of climate policies with citizen expectations and their perception of the state of readiness of their country.
Based on a representative sample of 5,221 adults (c. 1000 in each country), the YouGov survey commissioned by CLEPA reveals a striking hesitation toward a one-size-fits-all future: taking the average across the 5 markets, only 8% of citizens intend to purchase a battery-electric vehicle (BEV) as their next car*. Hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) continue to outperform BEVs in nearly every market surveyed. The sole exception is Germany, which has the highest BEV purchase intent at 14%, closely followed by HEV at 13%.
Consumers reject rigid technology mandates. Across the surveyed nations, on average 47% of citizens support incentivising cleaner alternatives rather than banning existing technologies, and 22% believe the EU should not intervene in the vehicle market at all. In contrast, 17% of citizens would support an outright ban on technology.
“The survey suggests a disconnect between policy decisions in Brussels and the driveways of European citizens,”said Benjamin Krieger, Secretary General of CLEPA. “Citizens want to drive cleaner cars, including electric vehicles, but virtually banning hybrids and alternative fuels drastically restricts their options. The upcoming CO2 review is the opportunity to align the pace of the transition with that reality and to give industry the flexibility it needs and consumers the choice of clean technologies they actually want.”
When evaluating the transition, consumers feel their nations are even less prepared than they are personally (68%), with a striking 75% stating their country is unready for full electrification. The main concerns* driving this hesitation are a lack of charging infrastructure (46%), vehicle affordability (46%), and surging energy costs (37%). With three quarters of respondents saying their country is not yet ready for full electrification, the findings suggest policymakers should focus first on creating the conditions for success—charging infrastructure, affordability and competitive energy costs—while maintaining a range of low- and zero-emission technology options during the transition.
*Multiple-choice answer
Note to Editors:
- About the survey: All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 5,221 adults (France=1067, Germany=1009, Spain=1063, Italy=1028, Poland=1054). Fieldwork was undertaken between 7th – 16th July 2026. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all adults in each country (aged 18+). | www.yougov.com
- About CLEPA: CLEPA, the European Association of Automotive Suppliers based in Brussels, represents over 3,000 companies, from multi-nationals to SMEs, supplying state-of-the-art components and innovative technology for safe, smart and sustainable mobility, investing over €30 billion yearly in research and development. Automotive suppliers in Europe directly employ 1.7 million people in the EU. | www.clepa.eu
in CLEPA, 08-09-2026
