TAF PUBLISHING

The contribution focuses exclusively on volume manufacturers because the spread of sustainability effects is more limited for this market segment than premium brands. An empirical study is used to determine the expectations on the customer side regarding more sustainability in the automotive industry in general and in the interior sector in particular and to derive corresponding challenges and potentials for original equipment manufacturers. The empirical study is based on an online survey with randomly selected persons via social media. The survey was conducted via Survey monkey. All persons with a minimum age of 18 years were considered. A majority of 63 percent of all volume brand customers are willing to pay a higher price for additional costs related to the use of natural and sustainable materials. All participants principally agree that sustainability should play an overall role in the automobile and should not be restricted to individual areas. Further research projects will analyze whether there are significant differences when it comes to premium manufacturers. Furthermore, no distinction has been made between age, gender, and automotive brand. All of these can be explored in the scope of further research activities, too.