Those who have been in them like them, but then there is consumer readiness, which isn’t much. . .

By Gary S. Vasilash

Although Waymo vehicles are transporting people in places like San Francisco and Phoenix with vehicles that are without a driver in command and while Tesla showed off its steering wheel- and pedals-free Cybercab, presumably for any of these to be commercially viable (i.e., allow the operators to make money), then there has to be a significant number of people taking advantage of the autonomous rides.

The J.D. Power 2024 Robotaxi Experience Study showed that those who have taken a ride in a self-driving vehicle feel good about the experience: 76% are confident in the vehicles after they’ve been in one compared with 20% who haven’t had the experience feeling confident about them.

However, another study—the J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Mobility Confidence Index Study, shows that on a 100-point scale, the score for “consumer automated vehicle readiness” is at 39. That’s two points better than in 2023, but it is where it had been in 2022.

One of the interesting findings this study goes to the point of insurance. While 71% of consumers say they don’t expect to acquire insurance on a pay-per-ride basis when using a robotaxi (did you ever think about acquiring insurance when getting in an Uber or on a bus?), 57% say they expect the vehicle owner to have liability coverage for the self-driving vehicle.

And while the Cybercab is designed without a steering wheel or pedals, 86% of the people surveyed by J.D. Power say they want the ability to take control of the vehicle if required. . .which seems to indicate the requirement for a steering wheel and pedals.