Teleworking reduces the use of the car by 50% and saves around 1,500 euros per year

According to the latter
Survey on the use of ICT and electronic commerce in INE (National Statistics Institute) companies, 40.8% of companies allow telecommuting. In addition, 8 out of 10 of them are already using remote access technologies for their workforce, indicating that their implementation is trending.

Teleworking becomes like this
a savings alternative and a solution to the mobility problems created in 2023 by the entry into force of the low-emission zones in cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants.

According to the latest MSI study for Sumauto, 75% of vehicles driving in cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants in Spain still run on combustion, labeled A, B and C. This means that more than 11 and a half million vehicles will see their circulation jeopardized in the coming weeks due to the introduction of low emission zones.

«In Spain, by far, the majority of daily commutes are for work reasons. More than half of these are carried out by private transport, so it is not surprising that changes such as teleworking have a direct impact on daily mobility,” explains Eduardo Clavijo, CEO of Idoneo.com.

So as collected
the 2016 ISTAS-CCOO Study -the last carried out on state-level mobility-, the average cost of using a private vehicle to go to work every day is 2,376 euros per year: «Therefore,
when teleworking is normalised and it would be necessary to go to the office only two days a week, drivers can save on average up to 130 euros per month, or what is the same, 1,430 euros per year ».

This estimate may fall short given the current situation where fuel prices are up to 76% more expensive than in 2016. In addition, the increase in car taxes and inflation in recent months have led to
the price of cars is 35% higher than 5 years ago, according to the OCU.

In this new context, buying a car loses its appeal because, according to Clavijo, “it doesn’t make sense for many to make a big investment in a good that is getting more and more expensive and they consume less.”

At the same time, the expert points to renting as “the real alternative” for citizens who have seen their office presence reduced by telecommuting, as a pay-per-use model offers great advantages over buying a car.

The long waiting times for a new vehicle, 5 months if it is combustion
or 7 months if electrifiedaccording to PromoCAR data for Sumauto, short-term rentals are making up for the wait, a trend that is helping to consolidate this type of leasing, which already accounts for 1 in 10 transactions, according to RentingCoches.

It is a “rent for months” modality with used cars and contracts of 1 year, but can be canceled without penalty after 6 months.

This duration is essential as the buyer of a new vehicle will not start paying the bills of the vehicle until he has the keys, hence the possibility of
opt for a short-term rental which can be adapted in time to your needs and without the rental price overlapping with that financed by the purchase.

According to RentingCoches, these contracts have become a market niche that also reaches other types of drivers, either as an entry-level formula for their first rental or as a solution for people who
they cannot borrow not use it financially. And it is that the context of economic uncertainty, characterized by the rise in inflation and interest rates, invites consumers to exercise caution and not commit themselves to long-term financial operations.

This is the case for new vehicles with “forbidden” prices, with an average of 20,500 euros, according to the tax authorities, an amount that many Spanish households cannot renew their home motorization with. and the same thing happens
with used vehiclewith a 33% drop in the ‘stock’ of diesel and petrol and a 16% increase in prices (average 17,561 euros) over the past year, according to autobiz.

According to
inigo brenadirector of
Renting cars, «just as many look for a housing solution in renting until they can move into a new home and hand over the keys, the same thing happens with cars. Buyers in need of a mobility solution are starting to look at renting for months so that neither their finances nor their travel needs are compromised.

Source: La Verdad

Ida

I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.