Trust of Autonomous Cars Not Automatic

Americans might be more familiar with autonomous cars, but that doesn’t mean they want to ride in them. 

An annual JD Power survey of nearly 3,000 adult vehicle owners kept the company’s Mobility Confidence Index measuring comfort and purchase intent with such vehicles at 39 on a 100-point scale. That’s the same as last year and just two points higher than 2023’s result. 

Consumers are more aware of the technology, which many have seen in robotaxis and Tesla’s remote vehicle summons, 58% correctly identifying full automation compared to 43% in 2024. But most still don’t want to actually use it, fewer than a quarter saying they’d be comfortable riding in one.

Not surprisingly, safety concerns topped reasons for lack of interest at 60% of respondents, followed closely by emergency handling at 58% and performance in tricky conditions, such as heavy traffic and bad weather, at 51%. Most consumers clearly don’t trust autonomous technology. 

In fact, they’re OK with goods being transported by autonomous trucks, their confidence rising to 46, though just 16% said they’d be comfortable on roads with such vehicles. 

“Consumers need to see that these systems can respond to unexpected situations, perform reliably in real-world conditions and clearly communicate what they are doing. Without that, broader adoption will remain limited,” said Lisa Boor, JD Power director of auto benchmarking and mobility development. 

Respondents’ stated willingness to use autonomous vehicles rises when considering certain scenarios, JD Power found. For food pickup, 54% said they’d trust the technology, versus 31% who’d trust it to ferry their children. 

More consumers who do see value in autonomous vehicles are particularly open to using them in retirement years – up to 28% depending on the respondent’s current age, while 25% see value in the technology for errands like doctor appointments or when their mobility would be hampered. 

Still, nearly a third of respondents – 30% –indicated they see no value in autonomous vehicles at any life stage.