Consumer interest builds for 'gateway' automated vehicle technologies, says study

Trust in automation technology is very much age dependent, as younger consumers have a notably higher level of confidence in the technology than their older counterparts, according to the J.D. Power 2016 US Tech Choice Study, which says trust in automation technology is a critical step toward the future of automated vehicles. The study was conducted in February through March 2016 and is based on an online survey of more than 7,900 consumers who purchased/leased a new vehicle in the past five years.
April 29, 2016 Read time: 2 mins

Trust in automation technology is very much age dependent, as younger consumers have a notably higher level of confidence in the technology than their older counterparts, according to the J.D. Power 2016 US Tech Choice Study, which says trust in automation technology is a critical step toward the future of automated vehicles.

The study was conducted in February through March 2016 and is based on an online survey of more than 7,900 consumers who purchased/leased a new vehicle in the past five years.

The study finds that customers are most interested in a number of automotive technology features that make use of the underpinnings of fully automated vehicles, such as radar, sensors, light detection and ranging (LIDAR) and cameras. Features with high consumer interest include smart headlights, night vision, lane change assist, traffic jam assist, medical emergency stop, smart intersection and predictive vehicle control.  

However, when it comes to making the leap to fully automated cars, trust in the technology is directly linked to the age of the consumer. More than half of Gen Y (born 1977-1994) and Gen Z (1995-2000) vehicle owners say they trust self-driving technology, compared with 41 per cent of Gen X (1965-1976), 23 per cent of Baby Boomers (1946-1964) and 18 per cent of Pre-Boomers (born before 1946).

The one view all generations share is a concern for technology security, specifically surrounding privacy and the potential for systems to be hacked, hijacked or to crash (either the vehicle or the system itself).

"The level of trust is directly linked to the level of interest in a new technology among automobile buyers," said Kristin Kolodge, executive director of driver interaction and HMI research at J.D. Power. "Acceptance can be increased with exposure over time and experience with automated technologies. But trust is fragile and can be broken if there is an excessive number of incidents with automated vehicles."

Location Based Systems

Related Content

  • June 28, 2013
    Transportation demand plan pronounced a success
    Sam Schwartz Engineering (SSE)’s Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Plan for the Barclays Center, a multi-purpose indoor arena in Brooklyn, New York was recently pronounced a success in headlines across the city. The arena hosts the National Basketball Association’s Brooklyn Nets, as well over 200 other annual events including concerts, conventions and other sports. It is within walking distance of eleven New York City Transit (NYCT) subway lines, directly across the street from a Long Island Rail Road
    Read More
  • March 20, 2015
    Visible road markings: an essential for older drivers and intelligent vehicles
    The RAINVISION project, co-financed by the European Commission, recently held its final meeting. Over the past three years, the project has researched the impact of road markings on driver behaviour under different night weather conditions (dry, wet and wet and rainy) and has assessed how different age groups and gender groups adapt their driving based on the above mentioned conditions. The results of the project were presented and in particular, the outcomes of three different trials conducted over the pro
    Read More
  • May 16, 2022
    Commsignia stops AVs behaving badly
    Cybersecurity concerns surrounding autonomous vehicles create uncertainty but Commsignia has set out to win trust by combating ‘misbehaviour’ attacks, finds Ben Spencer
    Read More
  • August 17, 2017
    US motor vehicle deaths drop slightly in first half of 2017, but remain higher than two years ago
    Preliminary estimates from the National Safety Council indicate motor vehicle deaths in the first six months of 2017 are one per cent lower than they were during the same six-month period in 2016. However, it says the country is fresh off the steepest estimated two-year increase in motor vehicle deaths since 1964 and it is too early to conclude whether the upward trend is over. The estimated deaths during the first six months of 2017 still are eight per cent higher than the 2015 six-month estimates, and the
    Read More

Highlighted Content