Consumer confidence in fully automated self-driving vehicles has risen slightly, although overall confidence remains low, according to the J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Mobility Confidence Index (MCI) Study.

The index score for consumer automated vehicle (AV) readiness increased 2 points to 39 (on a 100-point scale), after a two-year decline, putting it where it was in 2022.

The pace with which consumers are accepting the technology remains relatively flat among the general population and safety continues to affect consumer confidence, the report found.

To drive positive change, 83 percent of consumers desire more safety statistics related to the technology before riding and 86 percent say they want the ability to take control of the vehicle, if needed.

“This year’s improvement is minimal because there are still many unmet needs required to boost consumer confidence,” said Lisa Boor, senior manager of auto benchmarking and mobility development at J.D. Power. “Repeated and consistent reporting of safety findings over time—with independent oversight—will aid acceptance. Furthermore, addressing persistent concerns regarding insurance costs and data privacy also are paramount.”

Data privacy and hacking remain top concerns as 64 percent of consumers expressed concern that the data collected in the vehicle is not safe and secure and 80 percent want to understand what is being done to prevent fully automated, self-driving vehicles from being hacked. The issue has become so important to consumers that 40 percent indicated automakers’ data protection policy will be a reason to purchase one brand over another when shopping for their next vehicle.

“Consumers are increasingly concerned with data privacy and this study shows a strong link to fully automated self-driving vehicles,” said Bryan Reimer, Ph.D., research scientist in the AgeLab at the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics and a founder of MIT’s Advanced Vehicle Technology (AVT) Consortium. “Data security and transparency regarding data use are becoming increasingly important as a foundation for building trust in technology and connected digital solutions. Trust is built over time but can be quickly eroded. The news media’s attention to a recent failure by one automotive manufacturer to safeguard drivers’ privacy is likely provoking anxiety among automotive consumers.”

This year’s study also measured consumer confidence with various ways that automated self-driving technology may be deployed for air transportation, including drones and air taxis (i.e., aircraft with vertical takeoff and landing capabilities). Confidence in having packages delivered using an automated drone is 34 percent, more than double the rate of riding in a fully automated, self-driving air taxi (16 percent).

Nearly three-fourths (71 percent) of consumers say they don’t expect to acquire insurance on a pay-per-ride basis when utilizing a robotaxi service. More than half (57 percent) agree that the vehicle owner will need liability coverage for any fully automated, self-driving vehicle.

Parents of teen drivers are roughly twice as comfortable letting them drive the household vehicle (50 percent) than ride in a robotaxi (26 percent) or use Uber teen (29 percent). However, 39 percent of parents say they want the household vehicle to be equipped with Active Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) technology for safety reasons.