Overall consumer confidence in fully automated self-driving vehicles remains low, according to J.D. Power’s “2024 U.S. Mobility Confidence Index (MCI) Study.”

Following a two-year decline, the index score for consumer automated vehicle (AV) readiness increased 2 points to 39 on a 100-point scale, which is where it was in 2022.

J.D. Power finds that the pace with which consumers accept the technology remains relatively flat among the general population and safety continues to affect consumer confidence.

To drive positive change, 83% of consumers say they want more safety statistics regarding the technology before riding and 86% say they want the ability to take control of the vehicle if needed.

“This year’s improvement is minimal because there are still many unmet needs required to boost consumer confidence,” said Lisa Boor, J.D. Power senior manager of auto benchmarking and mobility development, in a news release. “Repeated and consistent reporting of safety findings over time — with independent oversight — will aid acceptance. Furthermore, addressing persistent concerns regarding insurance costs and data privacy also are paramount.”

Data privacy and hacking remain top concerns as well with 64% of consumers expressing concern that the data collected in the vehicle is not safe and secure. Eighty percent also said they want to understand what is being done to prevent fully automated self-driving vehicles from being hacked. Forty percent said the automakers’ data protection policy will “definitely” or “probably” be a reason to purchase one brand over another when shopping for their next vehicle.

“Consumers are increasingly concerned with data privacy and this study shows a strong link to fully automated self-driving vehicles,” said Bryan Reimer, a research scientist in the AgeLab at the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics and a founder of MIT’s Advanced Vehicle Technology (AVT) Consortium, in the release.

“Data security and transparency regarding data use are becoming increasingly important as a foundation for building trust in technology and connected digital solutions. Trust is built over time but can be quickly eroded. The news media’s attention to a recent failure by one automotive manufacturer to safeguard drivers’ privacy is likely provoking anxiety among automotive consumers.”

The study also found that 71% of consumers say they don’t expect to acquire insurance on a pay-per-ride basis when using a robotaxi service. Fifty-seven percent agree that the owner would need liability coverage for a fully automated self-driving vehicle.

Parents of teen drivers are roughly twice as comfortable letting them drive the household vehicle (50%) than riding in a robotaxi (26%) or using Uber for teens (29%). However, 39% of parents say they want the household vehicle equipped with ADAS for safety reasons.

The J.D. Power 2024 Mobility Confidence Index Study is based on responses from 3,000 vehicle owners in the United States, age 18 or older, who completed an online survey. The study results are balanced to basic census demographics to be nationally representative, according to J.D. Power.

An Enterprise Mobility survey fielded online from Jan. 22-Feb. 5, 2024 found Millennials and Gen Z to be the top two generations driving on U.S. and UK roads.

Forty-seven percent of Gen Z drivers ages 21-26 and 41% of Millennials who responded to Enterprise’s first “On the Move” survey estimated they are driving even more than five years ago, compared to 33% of Gen X drivers and 16% of Baby Boomers.

Enterprise found that 41% of Americans are excited about the new technology behind autonomous vehicles. Of those, 50% said AVs could have the potential to “make travel easier for people who can’t or won’t drive,” and 40% said AVs could “give people time to do other things in a car besides driving.”

However, 72% said they prefer human control of the car they drive or ride in.

Earlier this month, while backing support for federal AV safety standards, University of Michigan researchers invited academic researchers to use its mock city remotely for AV and connected vehicle testing.

Mcity opened remotely on Oct. 8 following two years of upgrades, according to an article on the university’s website. Within the coming year, Mcity plans to assist 10 research teams from academic institutions in the U.S. with their testing needs.

The goal is a full simulation version of Mcity that industry and academic researchers can use to “rigorously test and validate” AVs to accelerate their development and adoption.

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Featured image: Autonomous vehicle concept illustration (Credit: metamorworks/iStock