On December 17, Michelin, the global leader in tire technology, held a press conference in Beijing to share the findings of the Michelin China Private Car and Vehicle Owners Environmental Survey.
According to the survey, nearly 70% of private car owners in major cities have achieved a qualified level of environmental protection with an average score of 63.3. The younger car owners have higher levels of environmental protection, but after three years of car ownership, the owner's awareness of safety and environmental protection is weakened. Michelin also found that the green tire technology generally advocated in the world has enjoyed a high penetration rate in the domestic mid- to high-end automotive aftermarket.
As a continuation of the 2012 Green Vehicle Life – Michelin China Car Owners Environmental Behavior Research Report, this year Michelin and the China Automotive Engineering Society jointly launched the innovative concept of “environmental protection†and developed evaluation methods. Through comprehensive evaluation of the owner's own maintenance habits, driving style and environmental performance of the vehicle, the "environmental protection" score is obtained. The survey relies on the country's largest automotive aftermarket service network, Michelin's Chia Auto Service Center, which lasted for 45 days and has more than 1,000 stores in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Dalian, Chengdu, Wuhan, Qingdao and Xiamen. Private car owners conduct face-to-face surveys and on-site condition checks.
Mr. Philippe Verneuil, President of Michelin (China) Investment Co., Ltd. said at the press conference: "Michelin has always implemented the core values ​​of 'respect for the environment' and continuously launched green products and solutions that meet the energy conservation and environmental protection needs of the Chinese market. Our factory in China adopts first-class production equipment and advanced processes that meet environmental protection standards, and actively disseminates environmental protection concepts to consumers through various public welfare activities. This environmental protection research activity has been enthusiastically participated by the majority of car owners, showing Chinese consumers. Support for environmental protection. I hope that the release of the survey results will further enhance public awareness of environmental protection, guide private car owners to master correct environmental knowledge, develop good car habits, and contribute to the sustainable development of Chinese society."
A total of 1,033 private car owners participated in the Michelin environmental protection survey, and more than 1,000 valid samples were obtained. Among them, male car owners accounted for 83.6%, female car owners accounted for 16.4%. According to the survey, the average scores of male car owners and the average scores of maintenance habits, driving styles, and environmental protection of vehicles are slightly better than those of women.
In terms of age, the overall environmental performance of young car owners under the age of 40 is better than those over 40 years old, especially the maintenance habits. It is worth mentioning that the owner of the car over 50 years old is barely qualified with an average score of 60.1. From the perspective of the age of the car, within three years of the car age, the owner of the car pays attention to the maintenance of the new car, the overall level of environmental protection is higher. However, the survey found that after more than three years of age, the owner will enter the “aesthetic fatigue periodâ€, and the owner will show a sense of relaxation, both in terms of maintenance habits and driving style.
Geographically, the sample size of first- and second-tier cities is basically the same, while the second-tier cities have more than the first-tier cities (62.2 points) with an average score of 64.4. According to analysis, due to the slow pace of work and life in second-tier cities, the maintenance habits of more leisurely car owners are significantly better than first-tier cities. However, the driving habits of second-tier city owners are inferior to those of the first-line cities. The owners of individual cities have also exposed bad habits such as slamming on the accelerator pedal and slamming on the brakes. The wear of the tires is also prominent.
As the technical guidance unit of the research activity, Mr. Yan Jianlai, deputy secretary-general of the China Society of Automotive Engineering, affirmed the significance of this event. He said: “Michelin’s activities from point to point have mastered the effective information of private cars and car owners in major cities in China. The survey results basically reflect the social environmental awareness, and people can see many gratifying achievements and progress. They also find some hidden dangers and shortcomings, which have high reference value for the automobile industry and even the whole society. At the same time, the event passed. Face-to-face inspection and diagnosis, help the majority of car owners to improve the use of cars and car selection methods, practice the concept of energy conservation and emission reduction, and care for the environment, resulting in direct social benefits."
The survey also found that the maintenance habits of the majority of the owners of the vehicles are mainly reflected in the concern of the oil. More than 80% of the owners can change the oil in time, and check the tire pressure, dynamic balance, oil circuit cleaning, and throttle cleaning. Only about a quarter of the owners can do it when necessary maintenance. Four-wheel alignment and three-way catalytic converters are the most neglected environmental indicators for car owners. Only 15% of the respondents have learned or checked them. These problems are especially important for vehicles with higher ages.
In the face-to-face communication with the owner, Michelin found that most car owners have a good grasp of the green driving method, for example, when driving to a strange destination, over 60% of the car owners will plan the trip in advance; waiting for more than 10 minutes in the parking In the case, half of the owners will often pay attention to the engine stall. In addition, the majority of car owners have begun to be familiar with the different consumables selection will have different impact on the environment, more than one-third of the owners choose full synthetic oil.
As the inventor of the green tire technology with low rolling resistance, Michelin found in the environmental census last year that the technology is low in the country, and only one-fifth of the respondents know about green tires. This year's research in the mid- to high-end aftermarket sector found that private cars equipped with green tires have reached 56.6%, and the proportion of first-tier cities is even higher. In addition, among the joint-venture brand cars with a vehicle age of less than three years, the proportion of the original tires to green tires is nearly 60%. Although the original rate of green tires of self-owned brands is only 30%, it is gratifying that the proportion of green tires selected by owners of self-owned brands has increased significantly, half of them.
At today's press conference, Michelin and the experts of the China Automotive Engineering Society also shared the recommendations on green vehicles in terms of maintenance habits and driving habits in response to environmental defects found in the car owners' research. For example, in terms of tire maintenance, in addition to the periodic testing of tire pressure, four-wheel positioning and dynamic balance mentioned in the survey, attention should also be paid to whether the tire needs to be changed to maintain the balance of wear and extend the service life. Experts also suggest that warm-up is a good habit, but should distinguish between models and time, excessive warm-up is not environmentally friendly.
Michelin always implements the core values ​​of “respect for the environment†and practices a long-term commitment to Chinese society. With this research, Michelin hopes to provide more reference for promoting “sustainable mobility†in Chinese society and contribute to more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly travel and road transport.
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