With the Covid-19 pandemic wreaking havoc on Europe and America, countries around the world are turning to China to see how they managed to deal with their outbreak of the potentially deadly virus.
This is mostly for preventative safety planning, but Ipsos did the same thing for the automotive industry and looked into how the virus affected new car purchases in the massive country.
According to the "quick survey" that was conducted at the end of last month, the habits of Chinese commuters changed drastically, with an unsurprising shift towards hygiene-friendly options.
The biggest findings came out of the survey looking at public transport habits before and after the outbreak. As you'd expect, public transport took a massive hit, with most people opting for private cars instead.
The percentage of people using the bus fell by over 50%, with taxis and ride-sharing services also taking a decent hit. Bus and Metro services fell from the top spot to third position behind cars and motorcycles/scooters/bikes.
Concern for hygiene on public transport was obvious among non-car owners, where 66% revealed that they intend to purchase a car within the next six months. 77% of this 'first-time-buying' group wanted a new car to reduce the chance of infection.
Alongside turning to new cars, buyers placed an emphasis on 'healthy cars' that feature technology that can prevent the virus' spread. These were features such as filtered air conditioning systems and anti-bacterial interiors.
Buying cars online also spiked in popularity, with potential customers opting to test drive these vehicles from the comfort of their own home.
Manufacturers such as General Motors are capitalising on these findings, offering a 0% interest finance plan, and reminding customers that buying cars online and having them delivered are both options.
It will be interesting to see if our country follows this trend as safety measures are put in place.