Automakers are pushing self-driving—drivers may not want it

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Automakers may be forging ahead toward self-driving cars, but do drivers actually want them? According to a new survey, car shoppers want their vehicles to have advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and expect them to be standard equipment, but they still prefer to be in control.

The survey, conducted by S&P Global Mobility, found that “trust and familiarity” are the issues drivers have with automated vehicles, and that “as the amount of vehicle automation increases, consumer desire decreases.”

Blind-spot monitoring was the most popular system among survey respondents, with 82.5% listing it as the most desirable feature. Next up, at 80.3%, was a rearview camera — now mandatory on all new vehicles sold in the U.S. and Canada. Forward collision warning, and automatic emergency front braking with cyclist and pedestrian detection, tied at 80%; while night vision – relatively rare on all but a few luxury models – came in at 79.8% popularity.

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Self-driving features came in below that, with only 64.9% desiring unsupervised automated highway driving (where the driver doesn’t have to pay attention); followed in order by remote valet automatic parking, hands-off city driving (the vehicle drives itself, but the operator has to pay attention), and then unsupervised city automated driving at 63.1%. Only 61% desired a fully self-driving car.

“Safety versus convenience operate in two different ballparks of interest,” said Brock Walquist, S&P Global Mobility’s senior technical research analyst. The company concluded that drivers prefer ADAS because they are already familiar with the systems. More than half the drivers surveyed have used them, with about 35% owning vehicles with forward collision warning, and 30% with vehicles equipped with blind-spot monitoring.

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In contrast, the report found that “consumer experience with self-driving is essentially non-existent.” While hands-free systems are already on the market, including Tesla’s Autopilot, GM’s Super Cruise, and Ford’s BlueCruise, no vehicle sold today is completely self-driving.

On the scale of autonomous vehicle systems, where Level 0 is completely manual and Level 5 is full automation with no driver attention required, most auto manufacturers offer Level 2 systems, known as partial automation. The vehicle can accelerate, stop and steer, but the driver must pay attention and can take control of the vehicle at any time. No vehicle currently offers a Level 3 system – where the vehicle performs most tasks, but requires an alert driver who can override it if necessary – but Mercedes-Benz’s Level-3 Drive Pilot system has been certified for U.S. roads, with restrictions, and the automaker says it plans to introduce it in Nevada and possibly California in 2024.

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Drivers cite efficiency and safety, but not enough reason to buy

In the survey, 53% of those polled felt an autonomous car would “drive more efficiently” than a regular vehicle; while 48% felt it would be safer, and 27% would use it on boring drives. Even so, S&P Global Mobility said that buyers are struggling “to find a strong reason for autonomous driving features” and found that many don’t find a use for it that’s important to them.

The region also made a difference. Overall, only 47% of consumers said they would consider purchasing or riding in a car that could drive itself. The highest number of people who would were in mainland China, while the lowest number were people in the U.S., the United Kingdom, and Germany. As for the type of vehicle, the survey found that buyers are most likely to trust German brands, with 75% confident that Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche “can develop a safe and effective self-driving vehicle.”

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Consumers want safe cars – about 81% will pay more for a vehicle with higher safety ratings, and 92% said safety ratings are “somewhat” or “very important” in their purchase decision – but more than 50% don’t want to pay extra for ADAS safety features and expect them to be standard equipment.

The study concluded that resistance to paying extra may be because buyers expect safe cars to have these features as part of their safety rating. However, most of the organizations that rate vehicles for safety may recommend ADAS features, but don’t include them as part of the test scores. Consumers may also be confused by complex systems, since each manufacturer tailors them to its vehicles and “no two systems are exactly alike.” Drivers may also not know exactly what each system does, and how much it contributes to self-driving capability, which in turn leads to less desire to purchase it.