According to new research from connected services and location analytics provider Inrix, traditional car makers are more trusted to build autonomous vehicles and to protect driver’s connected car data than the leading technology companies.
Inrix has published the results of its Connected & Autonomous Vehicle (CAV) Consumer Survey, revealing insight into drivers’ concerns about this emerging multi-trillion dollar market.
Connected cars have more in common with smartphones than they do with cars of the past. However, UK drivers surveyed by Inrix were uncertain who to trust with their in-car data. A third of UK drivers do not trust anybody to secure connected car data, and among those who expressed a preference, 27% trusted traditional car makers with their data compared to only 18% who picked Silicon Valley’s technology giants.
The sentiment in the UK is echoed in Germany and France where only 8% and 13% of drivers, respectively, trust technology giants to secure in-car data. In contrast, 30% of US and 31% of Italian drivers have confidence in Silicon Valley.
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 drivers can see the benefits of CAVs, with their most valued uses being are improved disabled and elderly access (80%), increase in free time (68%), and better safety (58%), and 61% believing autonomous cars will be as safe or safer than current cars.
Inrix surveyed 5,054 consumers in five countries, who all owned a vehicle under four years old, including 1,013 in the UK, to understand driver perceptions of CAVs.
Of those drivers, 53% believe autonomous vehicles will be widely available within a decade, however, only 18% of UK consumers think AVs will be available in the next five years, and only 17% would be likely to purchase one.
“The UK is charging toward a transport revolution and time is ticking for Silicon Valley’s tech giants to address data security and privacy concerns,” said Dr Graham Cookson, chief economist and head of research at Inrix.
“Consumers are more aware than ever of keeping their data safe, and the fact that they trust traditional car makers over tech giants with their in-car data sends a powerful message.
“While UK drivers are more skeptical of today’s tech titans, traditional car makers still need to do more to show consumers the benefits of their connected, and in the future, autonomous, vehicles to secure a concrete foothold in this highly lucrative market. As CAVs become an essential part of brands’ business model, the stakes have never been higher.”
