Marylander Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 Just came across this JD Power study on in-car technology. One thing struck me -- on the subject of autonomous cars (self-driving) it was males between the ages of 18-37 that were most interested in it. I think that's kind of sad, really. But I guess men of that age love technology, too, so there's that consideration. Below is a snippet from the article, and below that is a link to the full text. Autonomous Driving--Polarizing Views on Value One of the newest, and the most expensive, technologies included in this study is autonomous driving mode--a feature that allows the vehicle to take control of acceleration, braking and steering, without any human interaction. While this technology is still being developed and tested, 20 percent of all vehicle owners say they "definitely would" or "probably would" purchase it in their next vehicle after learning the estimated market price of $3,000. Prior to learning the price, interest for this technology was at 37 percent. The study finds that vehicle owners are nearly as likely to select fully autonomous driving mode as they are to select semi-autonomous driving technologies such as emergency stop assist ($800), traffic jam assist ($800) or speed limit assist ($800). "Consumers are still learning about how autonomous driving technology could be used in their vehicles," said VanNieuwkuyk. "Many owners are skeptical about releasing control of their vehicle and would like to see the technology proved out before they adopt it." Vehicle owners with the highest interest in fully autonomous driving at market price are males (25%), those between the ages of 18 and 37 (30%), and those living in urban areas (30%). The study also finds a high degree of interest (41%) in fully autonomous driving among vehicle owners who expressed interest in the automatic parallel parking feature, further illustrating similar interest in both semi-autonomous and fully autonomous driving modes. Interest in autonomous driving mode differs among premium and non-premium vehicle owners. After learning the price, interest in the feature is at 18 percent among non-premium vehicle owners and at 31 percent among premium owners. Press Release - 2012 U.S. Automotive Emerging Technologies Study | J.D. Power Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChargerMatt Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 Why am I never included in ANY of these studies? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marylander Posted May 8, 2012 Author Share Posted May 8, 2012 Why am I never included in ANY of these studies? Seriously. I think they only poll people who see cars as appliances or as places where they can sit and send text messages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
70'sChevyGirl Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 I'll drive myself, thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chewy Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 This would be the BOMB for long road trips... Jump out of the seat, head to the back, change a diaper on the boy, get a drink, jump back in the seat and watch some netflix on the iPad... Oh wait... I guess we have to stay belted in don't we? lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug123 Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 For most people, a car is just a transportation appliance, at least by the way they (don't) take care of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marylander Posted May 8, 2012 Author Share Posted May 8, 2012 This would be the BOMB for long road trips... Jump out of the seat, head to the back, change a diaper on the boy, get a drink, jump back in the seat and watch some netflix on the iPad... Oh wait... I guess we have to stay belted in don't we? lol I do have to admit that I wouldn't mind catching up on sleep on some long trips. But I'd hate to see ALL cars go to autonomous control -- because for me driving is still an activity I really enjoy. I wonder if things like cross-country road trips would still be enjoyable if cars drove themselves. I mean, half of the thrill of an epic trip is the fact that you're taking control of things and doing/accomplishing something big. I mean, I'm a "the journey is half the fun" kind of person. And when you're driving you're clearing your head and escaping the wired, multi-tasking world that so many of us are trapped in. Mindless time in a self-driving car would just mean more time spent with your head down over a computer screen. And heaven knows we don't need more of that in our lives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
70'sChevyGirl Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 I love shifting through the gears on my car and I also like to drive. I know, N, S, E & W so I normally get where I am going without any help. I would be giving Chris strange looks if I saw him in the back seat changing diapers and no one in the driver's seat!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris@Adams Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 I'll drive myself' date=' thank you. [/quote'] I am with you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssbusdrvr Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 Our nephew teaches and develops some of this new technology at CMU in Pittsburgh. They won the DARPA Urban Challenge $2million prize a few years ago with an Autonomous Tahoe."Boss" They along with Stanford develop some crazy stuff. Not at liberty yet to say what their latest vehicle is. However the only difference you could tell that it was not a current everyday production car was a red Emergency Driver Override Button on dash. It is amazing how far all the sensors have come in shrinking in size and accuracy in a few short years. They also have developed an Autonomous Valet Smartphone App Here's a video of an earlier developmental test of it with Boss. The nephew is behind the " "wheel" just in case things go nuts lol Sorry for hijacking the thread and bragging a bit. He has come along way from being a surfer kid with no job and almost quitting highschool. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TM6u2TeIyH4]Boss: Autonomous Vehicle Demo - YouTube[/ame] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redbeard Posted May 17, 2012 Share Posted May 17, 2012 I'd pay extra to NOT have this feature! I'm not a total Luddite; I can appreciate the technology. But as a car enthusiast, I'm offended that the driver is being taken out of the equation. Again, I can accept the upsides to the autonomous cars, but I also think modern cars have too much (distracting) tech as it is. It's also disturbing that this tech is being embraced by young men, the demographic that has long been the cornerstone of car culture. I know this isn't the death of the next generation of car enthusiasts, but unless there's some way to hot rod these things, I'm not optimistic about the new car market in the coming decades. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Posted May 17, 2012 Share Posted May 17, 2012 This could be combined with a breathalyzer. If you have had too much, bam, it drives you home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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