Are Americans Warming Up to Self-Driving Cars?

Cars and Drivers

Published: July 25, 2017 11:45 am

Last Updated: January 12, 2020 9:48 am

Every major automaker has invested at least something in autonomous (self-driving) vehicles. And the number of technology companies working on self-driving systems seems to grow daily.

But where do U.S. drivers come down? If the automakers and technologists can actually deliver self-driving cars, will Americans buy them?

A new survey from ReportLinker indicates that 53% of U.S. drivers would purchase a fully autonomous vehicle the next time they buy a car. Another 34% would purchase a partially autonomous vehicle, while just 13% want their next car to be just like their current car when it comes to self-driving capability. A year ago, 46% said they would purchase a fully autonomous car next time, while 46% said they would purchase a partially autonomous vehicle and 18% wanted no part of autonomous vehicles.

Among those who would buy a fully autonomous car, more than half (59%) are women. Researchers say that one explanation for this is that just 70% of women report that they drive every day, compared to 83% of men.

When asked if they would feel safe using a self-driving car, just 34% said they would while 67% said they would not.

The highest hurdle to adoption of autonomous vehicles is consumers concern for safety. The list of drawbacks to using self-driving cars includes:

Road safety: 36% list as a drawback
Acquisition cost: 18%
Legal liability: 10%
Vehicle security: 9%
Cybersecurity: 7%

Only 7% saw no drawbacks to using a self-driving car.

When asked which company is likeliest to create the most popular autonomous vehicles, this is how respondents replied:

Tesla: 19%
Ford: 12%
GM: 11%
BMW, Google, Toyota: 9%
Apple: 8%
Audi: 7%
Mercedes-Benz: 5%
Honda: 4%

Technology companies like Tesla, Google and Apple are more trusted to develop autonomous vehicles (30%) than are traditional car makers (26%). A government-owned car maker gets just a 2% trust rating.

Finally, 65% of U.S. consumers say they would prefer to own their own vehicles while 35% say they’d rather use a self-driving vehicle through a car-sharing service such as Lyft or Uber. Either way, however, self-driving cars would be a growth driver for makers of autonomous vehicles.

The full report includes details on the year-over-year change in consumers’ preference for self-driving cars.

The Average American Has No Idea How Much Money You Can Make Today ^(Sponsor)

The last few years made people forget how much banks and CD’s can pay. Meanwhile, interest rates have spiked and many can afford to pay you much more, but most are keeping yields low and hoping you won’t notice.

But there is good news. To win qualified customers, some accounts are paying almost 10x the national average! That’s an incredible way to keep your money safe and earn more at the same time. Our top pick for high yield savings accounts includes other benefits as well. You can earn up to 3.80% with a Checking & Savings Account today Sign up and get up to $300 with direct deposit. No account fees. FDIC Insured.

Click here to see how much more you could be earning on your savings today. It takes just a few minutes to open an account to make your money work for you.

Our top pick for high yield savings accounts includes other benefits as well. You can earn up to 4.00% with a Checking & Savings Account from Sofi. Sign up and get up to $300 with direct deposit. No account fees. FDIC Insured.

¹https://www.fdic.gov/national-rates-and-rate-caps