Affordable mobility is about more than the purchase price of a vehicle. The numbers speak for themselves: the true cost of owning a vehicle is in fact determined over its entire vehicle lifecycle by how affordable it is to repair, maintain, and keep safely on the road.
This is exactly where strong competition matters. A diverse automotive aftermarket gives consumers and businesses genuine choice, helping keep prices competitive while ensuring repair services remain widely available across Europe.
Why does competition make mobility more affordable?
When consumers can choose between multiple repair providers and parts suppliers, businesses compete on price, quality and service. This creates better outcomes for everyone.
Today, the independent automotive aftermarket supplies around 62% of all aftermarket-installed vehicle parts across Europe. This competitive ecosystem gives drivers access to high-quality alternatives while preventing excessive market concentration.
The benefits are tangible. Servicing a C-segment plug-in hybrid vehicle through a manufacturer-controlled workshop can cost more than 40% more than using an independent repair network. Maintaining a competitive market therefore delivers direct savings for consumers and businesses alike.
Access and choice go hand in hand
But fair competition can only exist when independent operators are able to operate on a level playing field. In this regard, access to the data, tools and technical information needed to repair increasingly connected vehicles is becoming just as important as access to spare parts.
Preserving this access protects consumer choice, encourages innovation and enables independent businesses to continue investing in new technologies and services. It also helps ensure that drivers retain the freedom to decide where and how their vehicles are serviced.
Affordable mobility everywhere in Europe
Affordability also depends on availability.
Around 61% of Europeans live in suburban or rural areas, where local independent workshops often provide the most accessible repair option. Many of these workshops play a vital role in local communities: they support employment, create economic value and keep vehicles on the move. Their extensive geographic coverage ensures that citizens and businesses can access reliable mobility services without travelling long distances or facing unnecessary costs.
As connected vehicles and digital services continue to evolve, independent operators are also investing in remote diagnostics, online booking platforms and digital customer services, making mobility even more accessible.
Choice benefits everyone
A competitive automotive aftermarket does more than reduce repair costs. It strengthens local businesses, supports innovation and ensures that mobility remains accessible to citizens across Europe.
When consumers have the freedom to choose, competition thrives. And when competition thrives, Europe’s mobility system becomes more affordable, more innovative and more resilient.
