| Consumers losing trust in self-driving vehicles, J.D. Power says |
Consumers have trust issues with automated driving technology.
They show decreasing levels of readiness to ride in self-driving vehicles, according to a new study conducted by J.D. Power and researchers at the MIT Advanced Vehicle Technology Consortium.
Results from a July survey of 3,000 vehicle owners show consumer sentiment fell two points on an annual index designed by the two organizations to gauge comfort with autonomous vehicles.
Respondents collectively scored a 37 on the 100-point Mobility Confidence Index. It marks the second consecutive decline following a three-point drop last year. Consumer skepticism may be shaped by a general lack of knowledge about AVs and media coverage focused on operational failures, the report said.
Bryan Reimer, research scientist at MIT's Center for Transportation and Logistics and a founder of the Advanced Vehicle Technology Consortium, suggests those may be secondary effects derived from concerns with the core technology.
"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," he told Automotive News. "I understand why everyone wants to be full speed ahead, but perhaps it's time to take a pause and reboot, and not keep making the same mistakes."
— Pete Bigelow
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