Many consumers willing to pay extra for full autonomy in their next car

Many consumers willing to pay extra for full autonomy in their next car

Although full autonomy in new vehicles is not yet widely popular, the same consumers ranked it among the features they would be willing pay more for in their next vehicle. The findings are the results of a survey by IHS Markit. Car owners were surveyed in the U.S., Canada, China, Germany and the U.K.

Just over half of U.S. consumers said they would like full autonomy in their next new vehicle, and they are willing to pay an average of $780 for it. Highway autopilot (willing to pay $538) and blind spot detection ($488) are the next highest on the list of features. U.S. consumers are also interested in navigation systems, automatic emergency braking and steering wheel mounted controls.

Younger drivers are more interested in full autonomy than older drivers. Respondents reported that driving alone was their leading form of transportation, followed by walking and public transit.