Consumer vs . Manufacturer or Consumer vs . Consumer? The Implications of a Usage Analysis of Automobile Systems

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to highlight how re-posing the question of car usage in broader terms than usually tends to be the case, repositions the debate both practically and ideologically. The European Union's (EU) problem of obtaining cheaper cars for the consumer in such a context thus becomes a more nuanced question of understanding how the consumption patterns of richer consumers are being cross-subsidised by those of poorer consumers. Empirical data concerning household expenditure in France and trade data from car distributors are used to highlight this cross-subsidisation effect, which is insufficiently represented in the current EU debate.