Survey says U.S. drivers not ready to give up vehicle control to autonomy
Cox Automotive says Americans are becoming more comfortable with and knowledgeable about autonomous vehicle technology, but aren’t ready to give up control of their vehicles, according to its new survey results.
The company began studying AV technology 10 years ago. It says consumer familiarity with AVs has increased 18% since then, while 46% of U.S. consumers believe vehicles will become fully autonomous at some point during their lifetime. Five years ago, 37% believed that.
“The most appealing level of autonomy continues to be Level 4 (full autonomy capability, with the option for a human to drive), selected by 28% of respondents, down from 30% a decade ago,” the survey report states. “Meanwhile, interest in fully driverless Level 5 vehicles declined notably from 17% in 2016 to 10% in 2026, suggesting that consumers have become less interested in permanently giving up control of the driving experience.”
Since 2016, ownership of Level 2 and Level 3 vehicles increased from 12% to 34%. Fifty-seven percent of survey respondents said they would choose a Level 3 or higher vehicle for their next purchase if all autonomy levels were available.
“The auto industry has always had longer adoption curves for new technologies,” said Vanessa Ton, Cox Automotive’s market and customer research senior manager, in the report. “Even hybrid vehicles, which have been available to U.S. consumers for more than 25 years, account for only about 1 in 5 new vehicle sales today. For autonomous vehicles, safety concerns and high-profile incidents have slowed progress, but the growing acceptance of robotaxis seen in this year’s study indicates that attitudes are clearly evolving.”
This year, respondents said they’re often more willing to embrace Level 5 autonomy when they don’t have to buy the vehicle themselves, according to the report.
“Awareness of robotaxis has reached 70% nationally and 89% among residents of cities where autonomous services operate, although actual usage remains far lower at 18% nationally and 33% among AV-city residents,” the report states. “Research shows that 55% of Americans are open to using robotaxis, suggesting adoption is more constrained by availability than by interest.”
The report lists AV cities as Atlanta, Georgia; Austin, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio, Texas; Las Vegas, Nevada; Los Angeles and San Francisco, California; Miami and Orlando, Florida; and Phoenix, Arizona.
Eighty-three percent of respondents said riding in a robotaxi improved their perception of AVs. The same percentage said they would hail a robotaxi again.
However, 61% of respondents who hadn’t ridden in a robotaxi still cited discomfort with having no human driver as the primary reason they didn’t want to ride in one.
According to the survey, proven performance, safety, and technology; financial incentives; ease of adoption; and recommendations and peer influence pull buyers in when it comes to AVs. Respondents’ most-liked features include safety and accident prevention, being able to drive yourself when you want (Levels 3 and 4 autonomy), faster commutes, lower insurance, and benefits for impaired and at-risk drivers.
Thirty-nine percent of ride-hail users said they’re very comfortable riding in AVs compared to riding in a vehicle driven by someone they don’t know. Forty-four percent said they’re somewhat comfortable comparatively.
Cox Automotive predicts that in two to five years, ride-hailing will be revolutionized because “the incumbents’ core asset, the human driver, is the very thing consumers are moving away from.”
The report notes that Waymo, a robotaxi operator, claims to provide 2 million rides per month in the U.S. In September, Waymo launched in Denver, Colorado; San Diego, California, and Tampa, Florida, expanding its reach to 14 cities. Its website shows it is already working to expand to 17 more cities.
The more control AVs take, the further safety confidence falls, according to Cox Automotive.
For example, 87% said they feel safe traveling in Level 1 autonomy vehicles. By Level 5 autonomy, that percentage drops to 38%.
The results are nearly 50/50 on whether humans or AVs make roads safer. Forty-nine percent of respondents said roads would be safer if all vehicles were autonomous. Fifty-one percent said roads would be safer if only people operated vehicles.
The survey also found that respondents believe AVs are better suited for parking, road trips, new cities, and traffic.
Images
Featured image: Interior of a Waymo autonomous Jaguar I-PACE robotaxi. (Credit: halbergman/iStock)