Car dealers want green models

Almost half of European dealers fear losing customers by 2010 if the carmakers they represent do not offer a greater choice of models with alternative engines. Half of the dealers surveyed by Maritz, the market research firm, said they believed car buyers would be prepared to pay a premium of between 500 to 1,500 euro for a car powered by hybrid technology rather than by petrol or diesel.

“Manufacturers who do not or cannot provide a variety of models with alternative powertrains, risk losing a huge amount of potential sales,” said Christian Vorwerck, director for Europe marketing at Maritz Research. “Some manufacturers are responding to consumer demand and angst over environmentally friendly technologies but others are lagging behind in their development and are not bringing models to market quickly enough.” The survey also found that 54 per cent of British dealers thought Toyota has the most environmentally friendly portfolio of cars. Almost 50 per cent of British dealers believe demand for alternative engines will rise within three years.