Despite the growth of electric mobility, less than half of Portuguese people are willing to buy an electric vehicle. According to Standvirtual’s latest study on mobility habits and car purchases across different generations, only 49.38% of respondents consider this possibility.
In a press release, the car sales portal reveals that, among Portuguese people who admit they would buy an electric vehicle, “the decision is far from immediate.” This is because 63.13% plan to do so only in the future, but not in the short term, while 10.61% say they would proceed in the next six months.
The study suggests that the main obstacle to buying an electric car remains financial, with 49.13% of respondents pointing to the purchase price as the major barrier, followed by concerns about range (19.95%) and lack of charging infrastructure (14.71%).
Dependence on the car remains across generations
The study also emphasizes that the automobile remains at the center of Portuguese mobility. Currently, 78.3% use their own car as the main means of transport, highlighting “a strong dependence on this mode of travel in daily life,” says Standvirtual.
This reality is expected to persist in the future, according to the results, since 83.04% of participants foresee continuing to depend on their own car. Public transport and other alternatives remain with a “residual presence”.
The importance of the automobile is still evident in consumers’ perception, as 79.55% of Portuguese disagree with the idea that the car is no longer essential to their mobility, underscoring its centrality regardless of age.
“The data reveal that, even with the growing visibility of electric vehicles, the car market in Portugal remains strongly anchored to the traditional car and to a cautious decision-making logic, especially when higher investments are involved, such as electric cars,” says Miguel Lucas, Head of Go-To-Market Product at Standvirtual.
Preferences vary according to age
The differences between generations are evident in how Portuguese people search, evaluate and plan to purchase cars, says Standvirtual. Although the car is central to mobility for all ages, the decision criteria and preferred channels vary significantly according to the age group.
Among those aged 18 to 27, the total cost of ownership is the main deciding factor at the moment of purchase, cited by 94.74% of respondents, while high acquisition costs (73.57%) and doubt about the type of vehicle (33.42%) are the biggest barriers. Although physical stands are the preferred channel of purchase (47.37%), this age group shows greater openness to online stands, which account for 31.58%.
Consumers aged 28 to 43 exhibit a “hybrid behavior,” the portal says in a press release, combining the physical with the digital. This is the age group that most uses online stands (23.77%) and uses marketplaces (20.63%). More than half (50.97%) plan to change cars in the future, evidencing a clear concern with monthly costs associated (72.20%).
In the 44 to 59 age bracket, the in-person experience is decisive: physical stands are preferred by 52.50% of respondents, although 20.63% have already integrated digital in the research and comparison process. This group also records the highest intention to change in the short term, with 25% thinking of changing cars in the next 12 months, the study shows.
Price and uncertainty still constrain electric vehicles
Although there is openness to electric mobility, the age-group analysis shows that the market remains in a transition phase, says Standvirtual.
Price stands out not only as the main barrier to electric vehicles but also as the main decision criterion in car purchases, cited by 85.04% of participants, followed by monthly costs – consumption, insurance, inspection, among others (67.83%).
Furthermore, uncertainty remains, with 26.43% of consumers admitting that they still do not know what powertrain their next car will have, an uncertainty even higher than the choice of electric vehicles (23.19%).
