Automated transport must be safe, practicaland desirable to gain consumer acceptance, finds Strategy Analytics

September 20, 2018 - Boston: (BUSINESS WIRE)Despite numerous attempts from many varied sectors to establish a market for automated mobility services, the concept of “self-driving” technology for ride-hailing/taxi services and limited-route buses has yet to be proven viable with actual consumers. In a new report from the In-Vehicle UX (IVX) team at Strategy Analytics, consumers in the US, Western Europe, and China were surveyed regarding their interest in automated driving technology for these services. Regardless of the mobility service model, interest is low. Skeptical consumers showed the same concerns as those uninterested in semi-autonomous technology for owned vehicles, but trust was not the only factor holding these services back.

Key report findings include:

• Consumer interest worldwide is extremely narrow because the practical usefulness of such services has yet to be proven to consumers beyond the early-adopter segment.
• In addition to not having a use for automated taxi or bus services, skeptical consumers do not yet trust automated transport technology.
• Consumers in China also show strong concern for the quality of the vehicles which might be utilized for such a service.

Derek Viita, Senior Analyst and report author commented:

“Trust remains a large hurdle to acceptance. This is due not only to high-profile crashes and fatalities involving self-driving test vehicles, but also poor user interface design of existing systems and poor basic usefulness. It is not good enough for automated transport just to be safe; it must also be practical and desirable.” “If a mobility service is too expensive for the use case, not available when or where it is needed, or is too complex/unreliable to use, consumers are less likely to be satisfied. Fundamentally they will not become loyal users.”

Added Chris Schreiner, Director, Syndicated Research UXIP:

“It is not enough to simply build an automated transport program, roll out a charm offensive and expect consumers to flock to the service. Supply will not create its own demand. Consumer skepticism toward automated transport in general remains unresolved.”