Report: Consumer Demand For Vehicle Technology Varies

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IHS Markit, a Southfield-based automotive analytics company, today released the findings of a report on vehicle technology, which states that full autonomy in new vehicles is not yet a widespread technology preference, with only 44 percent of respondents finding it desirable, but that the same audience ranked it among the top features they would be willing to pay for.

The survey was taken by more than 5,000 vehicle owners planning to purchase a new vehicle within the next 36 months, representing five key auto markets: U.S., Canada, China, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Among the five demographics, U.S. consumers were willing to pay the highest price for full autonomy – though just over half of respondents expressed desire for the technology.

While the response to full autonomy was somewhat contradictive, the survey found that consumers were most attracted to safety features. Blind spot detection ranked highest as the most desired feature across all ages and regions.

“In terms of ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) safety features like automatic emergency braking and blind spot detection, consumers wanted to see these features standard across the board,” says Colin Bird, senior automotive technology analyst for IHS Markit. “There is a large subset of consumers who are willing to pay for full autonomy features demonstrating that consumers see this more as a value-add rather than a necessary safety component, at least for now.”

China expressed the most desire for full autonomy, with 72 percent of respondents marking it as a feature they’d like to see in their next vehicle.

Interest in related autonomous technologies fared better; highway autopilot was among the top technology consumers would be interested in.

The survey also indicated that while younger drivers are generally more comfortable with the idea of full autonomy than older drivers, 61 percent of millennials and Generation Z respondents said they were interested in the feature for their next vehicle.