Study: EV Popularity Rising, AV Trust Falling

Greg Hyde

---

17th December 2018

A global survey has found trust in autonomous vehicles is falling and support for electric vehicle ownership remains strong, despite the growth of mobility-as-a-service.

The Arthur D Little worldwide automotive market report found 48% of respondents said they would consider replacing their current vehicle with a hybrid, plug-in hybrid, or battery electric one, compared with 36% who said they would opt for a petrol vehicle, and just 12% who expressed a preference for buying a diesel car. Over 8,000 drivers from China, Turkey, Italy, South Korea, Japan, Spain, Russia, Belgium, the US, the UK, Germany, and France were surveyed for the report.

57% of respondents said they would be happy to use a Level 5 AV, down from 64% previously. 59% of US respondents said concerns about “data security” would deter them from using autonomous and connected vehicle technology. Support for AVs was strongest among Chinese respondents, 78% of whom expressed total or partial “acceptance” of such vehicles.

Of German respondents, the age group who felt car ownership was “important” was the under-30s, despite the fact that this was the age group who globally were found to have the highest rates of registration within ride-sharing schemes. Overall, 58% of respondents said they would be willing to pay “slightly” more for an EV or a hybrid. However, a combined 68% said “price subsidies” and the “total cost of ownership” would be the main motivation for them to do so.

Arthur D Little partners Klaus Schmitz and Wolf-Dieter Hoppe claimed the study showed “the switch to alternative drivetrains and new mobility options will disrupt manufacturers, with EV driver demand exceeding currently planned capabilities … drivers in all countries we surveyed except China are becoming much more sensitive around private data … protecting this data will become a key competitive differentiator for manufacturers and providers of mobility solutions”.