Consumers losing trust in self-driving vehicles, J.D. Power says

Consumers have trust issues with automated driving technology.

They show decreasing levels of readiness to ride in self-driving vehicles, according to a new study conducted by J.D. Power and researchers at the MIT Advanced Vehicle Technology Consortium.

Results from a July survey of 3,000 vehicle owners show consumer sentiment fell two points on an annual index designed by the two organizations to gauge comfort with autonomous vehicles.

Respondents collectively scored a 37 on the 100-point Mobility Confidence Index. It marks the second consecutive decline following a three-point drop last year. Consumer skepticism may be shaped by a general lack of knowledge about AVs and media coverage focused on operational failures, the report said.

Bryan Reimer, research scientist at MIT's Center for Transportation and Logistics and a founder of the Advanced Vehicle Technology Consortium, suggests those may be secondary effects derived from concerns with the core technology.

"If we want to fix the trust problem, maybe we want to fix the foundations of why the technology appears in the news all the time," he told Automotive News. "I understand why everyone wants to be full speed ahead, but perhaps it's time to take a pause and reboot, and not keep making the same mistakes."

Reimer spoke before a collision Monday night in which a Cruise robotaxi struck a pedestrian in San Francisco. Video showed another car first hit the pedestrian, who fell off that car’s hood and into the Cruise’s path. Police are investigating the accident.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Tuesday it "is aware of the incident and is in contact with the operator and local authorities to gather additional information." The California Department of Motor Vehicles said it met with Cruise officials on Tuesday to get more information on the incident and "takes all collisions involving autonomous vehicles seriously."

Robotaxis have drawn criticism from parts of the San Francisco community including city transportation officials. But J.D. Power said firsthand experience with robotaxis boosts consumer confidence.

Consumers who have used robotaxis in Phoenix and San Francisco scored 67 on the Mobility Confidence Index, 30 points above the collective index level. That disparity indicates experience is critical to widespread adoption, according to the report.

"Industry stakeholders must seize the opportunity to build confidence and promote the technology across all transportation modalities," wrote Lisa Boor, senior manager of auto benchmarking and mobility development at J.D. Power.

"But for success, it cannot be overshadowed by these endless deployment issues," she added. "Consumer trust is fragile."

It is also fickle.

On the driver support front, automakers have entrusted consumers with more sophisticated assistance technologies. Drivers admit to breaching that trust by engaging in risky or prohibited activities behind the wheel, such as sleeping, according to the survey.

Further complicating matters is that consumers have difficulty differentiating between levels of automation and do not understand what activities may or may not be permitted.

Twenty-two percent tell J.D. Power they believe "Tesla" or "Autopilot" represents fully automated driving. But Autopilot is an assistance feature that requires a licensed human driver who's responsible for the vehicle at all times.

Reimer said it is imperative safety advocates and auto industry engineers better understand how consumers are using Tesla's Autopilot, in particular, and driver support features supplied by other automakers in the real world.

"Does utilization in the real world happen in a way that's in line with design philosophies," he asked. "At the end of the day, trust is king. We have to build consumer trust and confidence."

Reuters contributed to this report.