Asahi Kasei published its 5th Global Automotive Consumer Survey, of which car users in the four major automotive markets about their expectations and concerns regarding fully autonomous vehicles and their perception of sustainability.

The survey includes a total of 4,158 car users across the four automotive core markets: Germany (1,074), USA (1,077), China (1,007), and Japan (1,000).

Asahi Kasei’s annual survey reveals how car users from four major markets think about fully autonomous vehicles.

Distrust in technology

Car users are still conservative regarding the operation of a fully autonomous car and a retractable steering wheel and pedals are not considered valuable to most respondents.

This confirms the results of the last survey from 2022, which found that even in fully autonomous vehicles, a large proportion of users in Germany, the USA, and China prefer to have a steering wheel and brake pedal for optional manual control. In Japan, one in two share this outlook.

In addition, two out of three car users in Germany, the USA, and China stated they would still observe traffic while in autonomous mode—activities while in the car, such as watching movies or playing games, are at the bottom of the list.

This is another indication that car users today have safety and trust concerns about fully autonomous cars. These sentiments will profoundly define the interior design of the first generations of fully autonomous vehicles.

Silent cabin is key to interior

On the most valued interior aspect of an autonomous car, one out of two respondents mentioned “silent cabin”.

This aligns with opinions of many battery electric vehicle (BEV) users; almost every fourth user of a BEV mentioned “too much noise while driving” as the most annoying aspect of the driving experience.

In fully autonomous electric vehicles, and with the ability to engage with other activities while commuting, silence will even become more important for customers.

Perception of sustainability differs

Car users no longer define a “sustainable vehicle” only by its drivetrain technology but also by its carbon footprint in production, easily recyclable materials, and overall sustainable production along the entire value chain.

Respondents in the Western markets define a sustainable car by its use of recyclable materials and sustainable production along the value chain while those from China and Japan think the drivetrain technology primarily defines a sustainable car.

This topic is becoming more relevant for the purchase decision process, particularly in Western countries, with 35% of all respondents in Germany and the USA indicating they would switch their car brand to a more sustainable manufacturer to support greener mobility.