Commentary

56% Of Consumers Prefer Self-Owned Cars To Robotaxis

by Chuck Martin , Staff Writer, February 17, 2020

While various entities ranging from automakers to tech companies are working to develop and market autonomous cars, consumers are hardly looking forward to giving up personal car ownership.

More than half (56%) of U.S. consumers would not consider giving up vehicle ownership to switch to self-driving robotaxis, according to a new global study.

However, 44% of U.S. adults said they would consider switching from owning or leasing a vehicle to using robotaxi-based, self-driving ride-hailing services.

Viewpoints vary by market.

For example, 84% of consumers in China would consider giving up vehicle ownership in favor of robotaxis, according to the study, comprising a survey of 6,500 consumers in the U.S., U.K., China, France, Germany and Italy conducted by AlixPartners.

Another challenge is the amount of knowledge consumers have of self-driving vehicle technology.

A majority (59%) of U.S. consumers say they are aware of some automated driving tasks performed by the vehicle with the expectation that a human driver will respond appropriately to intervene, but just over a third (39%) are aware of fully autonomous functions.

Interestingly, the interest in ride-hailing robotaxis in place of personal car ownership correlates to GDP.

In the countries with a lower GDP, consumers see vehicle ownership as a higher burden. The trend is less in the U.S. and Germany, with higher GDP per capita.

The major catch is that U.S. consumers would be willing to spend only 9% more for hands-off autonomy over today’s driver-assist functions, such as lane-keeping assistance and automatic emergency braking.

As yet another sign of a bumpy road ahead for self-driving vehicles, 80% of self-identified likely buyers of higher-level autonomous vehicles say they will wait five or more years after widespread availability to buy an autonomous vehicle.

The reality is that ride-sharing services using autonomous vehicles will hit the market well ahead of personal ownership of cost prohibitive self-driving cars.

automotive, international, iot

3 comments about "56% Of Consumers Prefer Self-Owned Cars To Robotaxis".

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R MARK REASBECK from www.USAonly.US , February 17, 2020 at 9:37 p.m.
I still say the percentages are disproportionte to the country as a whole.
The east and West coast have large overcrowding where a parking place can cost $150,000 . They already take public transportation, so car ownership is not a necessity to a good portion of that population base. BUT, try fly-over America. No one I know will even consider a Ghost-driver car. Tell a Texan, you want to control his F-150 or Suburban, won't happen. People in the Southwest, will never give up that freedom. You're going to tell me a young family with 3 kids are going to call a "ride share" to take kids to soccer practice...or the games? Ballet lessons? graduation, football games? These manufactures hell bent on making theses cars, driverless, will also be customer-less.
Reply

Chuck Martin from Chuck Martin replied, February 18, 2020 at 10:47 a.m.

Correct, Mark. The initial targets are likelyl to be major metro areas.

Paula Lynn from Who Else Unlimited, February 18, 2020 at 11:55 a.m.

Did anyone read the article about "ride sharing" businesses that are not ride sharing, optimal word sharing, businesses and were supposes to lessen traffic ? The reality is that traffic increased because of them because they are not ride sharing businesses. Odds, they know that from the get go. They are just additional transportation businesses using a technology. The same would go fo self driving. More traffic. People movers are trains and buses, but are not as profitable.