Consumers are losing confidence in autonomous driving technologies. That's the conclusion of a new study by J.D. Power and researchers at the MIT Advanced Vehicle Technology Consortium. Automotive News reported on the study.
The study shows a clear trend: people are less and less inclined to get into a vehicle with autonomous drive capability.
The survey was conducted in July, with 3,000 vehicle owners participating. It shows that consumer sentiment dropped two points on an annual index designed by the two organizations to gauge people's comfort and confidence levels with autonomous vehicles.
Respondents collectively scored 37 (scale of 100) on the mobility confidence index. This is the second consecutive decline, following a three-point drop last year.
There is a nuance to this, however, according to the report. The drop in confidence could be linked to respondents' general lack of knowledge of the technology. Also, the fact that media coverage focuses more on failures than successes in this area could be undermining confidence.
Bryan Reimer, a researcher at MIT's Center for Transportation and Logistics and founder of the Consortium for Advanced Vehicle Technologies, suggests that this may be a side-effect of concerns about the core technology itself.
Interviewed by Automotive News, he offered this as an explanation:
“If we want to fix the trust problem, maybe we want to fix the foundations of why the technology appears in the news all the time. I understand why everyone wants to be full speed ahead, but perhaps it's time to pause and reboot, and not keep making the same mistakes.”
Ironically, soon after Bryan Reimer spoke, a Robotaxi Cruise hit a pedestrian in San Francisco. The company said the driver of another car hit the pedestrian first, sending the individual into the path of the Cruise vehicle. San Francisco police investigators have yet to corroborate this version.
Robotaxis have drawn criticism from some in the San Francisco community, including the city's transportation officials. However, according to J.D. Power, first-hand experience with Robotaxis has boosted consumer confidence.
Consumers who used Robotaxis in Phoenix and San Francisco scored 67 on the Mobility Confidence Index, 30 points higher than the collective index level.
This shows that experiencing this technology tends to boost feelings of confidence.
"But for success, it cannot be overshadowed by these endless deployment issues," wrote Lisa Boor, JD Power’s head of auto benchmarking and mobility development. “Consumer confidence is fragile.”
Drivers themselves have a role to play in this as well, of course. Some have placed put so much trust in the technology directing their vehicle that it's led to accidents. According to the survey, some drivers admit engaging in risky behaviour in self-driving vehicles, like sleeping and other risky if not prohibited activities.
According to J.D. Power, consumers find it difficult to differentiate between different levels of automation, and don't understand which activities may or may not be permitted.
For example, 22 percent of those surveyed believe the terms “Tesla” and “Autopilot” refer to fully automated driving, when in truth the latter is an assistance function that requires a human (with driver’s permit) to be in charge of the vehicle at all times.
Clearly, stakeholders in the autonomous-drive sector have work to do. On the one hand, technology needs to improve, and manufacturers may need to better inform consumers. On the other hand, responsibility lies with the humans behind the wheel of vehicles offering autonomous-drive functionality.
