Escalent Diagnoses Consumer Attitudes—From Fear to Excitement—Toward an Autonomous Future

New report highlights challenges and opportunities facing automakers developing self-driving technologies

Escalent, a top human behavior and analytics firm, today published a report exploring consumer attitudes regarding the adoption of autonomous vehicles. An Autonomous Future: Building Trust in a Driverless World identifies the barriers automakers face in winning over consumers with autonomous technology.

"As automotive companies continue to develop autonomous technologies, consumer attitudes and receptivity are lagging behind," said Jason Mantel, managing director of Escalent's automotive and mobility division. "To spark more rapid autonomous vehicle adoption, automakers will need to satisfy consumer expectations - transparency and collaboration through the advancement and democratization of the technology and infrastructure."

Some key findings outlined within the report include:

• When electric vehicle drivers were asked how likely they would be to consider riding in an autonomous vehicle, 72% said they would be "very likely" or "somewhat likely" to do so
• The top four reasons people fear self-driving vehicles include: safety, privacy, data security and liability
• In order to succeed in the race for the hearts and minds of consumers, automotive companies will need to:
  • Educate and train consumers on AV features to create positive experiences
  • Clearly communicate the lifestyle and safety benefits of AVs
  • Be transparent with consumers, share learnings and collaborate with other AV developers

Click below for a full copy of the report.