SHOPSMART AUTOS – CUSTOMER INFORMATION – MARCH 14, 2021 -1

What Issues do Consumers Have about Autonomous Vehicles?

Automakers are investing billions of dollars in new technologies, but consumers don’t seem to understand how these features work or why these automotive technologies would benefit them. The bottom line is that most consumers don’t really have much interest in vehicles with advanced tech and aren’t ready for electric or autonomous vehicles. Those are the findings of a new survey — the JD Power 2020 Q1 Mobility Confidence Index Study fueled by SurveyMonkey Audience. Responses suggest that, for automakers, more is at stake than just investing money in new and improved technology. Automakers also need to educate consumers about electric vehicles (EVs) and autonomous vehicles (AVs). Lack of consumer knowledge is a huge roadblock for future EV and AV adoption. Consumer confidence in future mobility technologies lags far behind automakers’ plans to bring self-driving and battery-electric vehicles to the marketplace, according to the JD Power survey.

  • Self-driving vehicle
    confidence has decreased for the first time — to 35 from 36 on a 100-point scale — for US consumers and to 36 from 39 for Canadian consumers.

  • Battery-electric vehicle
    confidence remains at 55 in the US for the 4th consecutive quarter, while decreasing to 57 from 59 in Canada.



Are Consumers Ready for EVs?
Not according to them. EV technology and infrastructure availability have progressed dramatically in 23 years, but many consumers still believe EVs are lacking in comparison to internal combustion engine vehicles. (CleanTechnica writers disagree.) Few consumers have any experience with battery-electric vehicles. Did you know that 70% of US respondents to the JD Power survey have never been in a battery-electric vehicle? 30% admit they know nothing about them. Comments included confusion about battery replacement costs, how old electric car batteries affect the environment, and if batteries can be recycled. Perpetual barriers remain. Charging station availability, driving range, and purchase price are the top 3 barriers to battery-electric vehicles as perceived by US and Canadian consumers today.
Final Thoughts
Consumer confidence in future mobility technologies seems to lag far behind automakers’ plans to bring self-driving and battery-electric vehicles to the marketplace. But education can help consumers to understand the power and place of EVs and AVs in their lives. After all, Tesla has no problem selling its cars, and the volumes it has achieved many thought were impossible a few years ago. And many non-Tesla EV owners love their own EVs like Tesla owners do. As Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. uttered, “A person’s mind, stretched by new ideas, may never return to its original dimensions.” Automakers need to educate dealers and rely on its experts — the engineers — to communicate with customers and enthusiasts so that the investment of automotive technology aligns with understanding. There is one question still in frequent debate about automakers and EVs. Did they really want to sell them? We have pointed out many times that increasing EV sales, and increasing awareness of EV benefits, could be a financial death knell for automakers.

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