U.S. shoppers not convinced about new-tech vehicles

American car consumers continue to say “No thanks” when it comes to EVs and autonomy, says auto analysts at J.D. Powers

The company ponts out that electric vehicles seemed poised to gain ground in the United States. But other than mounting interest in Tesla, EV sales and support of self-driving cars are down overall.

According to a recent survey and press release from J.D. Power, this is simply because most people aren’t yet ready to make the switch.

The 2019 Q4 Mobility Confidence Index Study gave electric car support a score of just 55 and self-driving cars a 36, both on a 100-point scale. J.D. Power points out that similar data has been substantiated now for three consecutive quarters.

“Consumer opinion doesn’t change overnight, especially when it comes to new mobility technologies, but the more consumers are exposed to these technologies, the more the needle might gradually move towards acceptance,”  said Kristin Kolodge, executive director of driver interaction & human machine interface research at J.D. Power. “Right now, they simply don’t know enough to fully put their trust in these systems.”

She said the report separated out information related to self-driving cars as opposed to EVs in general.

“Knowledge is power. There is an association between self-reported knowledge level of self-driving vehicles and likelihood to purchase,” Kolodge said. “Undoubtedly, it is critical for consumers to gain experience even through lower levels of automation.”

She said a glut of products that people are not interested in will be financially disastrous for many automakers.

www.jdpa.com