A MaritzCX survey revealed that owners of Mercedes-Benz and Infiniti cars are more interested than others in using the technology for their luxury vehicles.
The poll solicited input from more than 12,300 cars owners between May and August 2016. Approximately 27% of the respondents said they are willing to buy self-driving cars once the technology becomes feasible.
Owners of Toyota and Chevrolet automobiles came in third and fourth, respectively, as around 20% of those polled showed interest in buying autonomous cars. Drivers of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV’s Jeeps and Ram vehicles were the least keen on buying self-driving cars, with less than 10% of the poll’s respondents.
Robotic Drive
Mercedes-Benz and Infiniti car owners are more interested in autonomous vehicles partly because of the luxury brands’ marketing campaigns about the technology, aside from their cars with already available semi-autonomous features like automatic brakes, according to Shawn St. Clair, MaritzCX survey author and global syndication director.
St. Clair added that owners of these two luxury cars also believe that the technology would improve safety for such vehicles. However, those who drive mid-range brands remain unconvinced about the breakthrough.
Freestyle Driving?
Nearly half of the survey’s respondents are still not confident about the idea of self-driving cars. Hence, winning their support poses a challenge to car manufacturers. It’s not that hard to understand why since they see the technology as a gateway for potential risks.
Some of these threats relate to safety such as equipment failure while on the road and difficulty in assessing traffic situations. Further, going digital means inadvertently offering potential security loopholes for hackers to steal information.
Despite this, the automobile and software industries are working double-time to reassure consumers and resolve the flagged concerns, prior to deploying self-driving cars.
It’s important to take note that in the end, it’s up to the car owners if they want to relinquish control of the steering wheel.
