Oh that’s got to hurt; a recent study shows that consumers are more interested in buying an autonomous, self-driving car from Google and Apple than from Nissan and General Motors. Yipes.
Virtually ever automaker, including Audi, GM, Nissan, and BMW is in the midst of a big push to be the first to send a fully autonomous car to market, consumer confidence in their abilities, it would seem, are lacking.
Conducted by U.S. audit and advisory firm KPMG, the survey polled of a diverse group of drivers from Los Angeles, Chicago, and Iselin, New Jersey. The survey asked respondents to score how much they would favor, on a scale of one to 10, a self-driving car from various automakers and tech companies.
The results were quite shocking indeed. Apple and Google each received a score of eight. High-end automakers like Mercedes-Benz received a 7.75. And Nissan and General Motors each received a five.
As for how willing drivers from different parts of the country were to drive an autonomous car:
KPMG then asked asked how willing the drivers would be to own a self-driving car. “L.A. residents ranking their willingness to use a self-driving car at nine out of 10. Chicago residents came in at four, and New Jersey drivers’ median was six,” according to Wired.
Not surprisingly, though, luxury vehicle owners were far more likely to see autonomous driving favorably than those who were self-described driving enthusiasts.
It stands to reason that high-end buyers are already used to tech and luxury features and see autonomous driving as just an extension of that luxury. As for those who like the act of driving, they were much more willing to buy a car that had autonomous driving if they could turn it off. They were sold, however, on self-driving tech if it meant a shorter, less stressful commute.
When it comes down to it, I wonder how many people realize that autonomous driving isn’t just about a shortened commute. Tens of thousands of lives could be saved each year by self-driving cars.
If all our cars are talking to each other and reacting accordingly, traffic fatalities could quickly fall to zero, statistically speaking. I love driving. But I am willing to give up driving myself the majority of the time if it means we’ll all be safer on the road.
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