Europe - 35% of Buyers Are Willing to Spend More on Green Tech Despite Recession

A recent poll, conducted and sponsored by Ford, found out something particularly interesting about the European car buyer. Apparently, some 35% of Europeans would be willing to spend more on a new car, if it came loaded with green tech, and would be more environmentally-friendly.

This is odd, considering the sorry state of the continent's economy, as unemployment rates go up, and salaries stagnate. Still, something more in-tune with the current situation is the 71% of consumers who said fuel-efficiency was a major deciding factor for the purchase of a new car.

The same poll also discovered that 68% of European drivers actually think about fuel economy as they are driving - we find that perfectly normal, and we encourage it. Also, some 53% of those questioned say that climate change is the most important challenge faced by our current society, while 57% admitted that they would like to live a greener lifestyle.

This begs the question, then: Why, if they have discovered that people are willing to pay more for green tech, does Ford not sell any of its own hybrids in Europe, to prove their own point.

“The survey shows that even in economically difficult times there is a clear desire for vehicles that are more environmentally friendly,” says Barb Samardzich, VP of Product Development for Ford's European branch. She added that “Ford is extremely focused on meeting this demand now and in the future, and this goes hand-in-hand with delivering products that help reduce running costs.”