Good news for robotaxi operators. People who have ridden in a robotaxi love it.
According to a new study by automotive research firm JD Power, robotaxi passengers rated the experience 8.53 out of 10, with “vehicle technology” being the top factor in the experience.
JD Power also found that “consumer confidence” when riding in a robotaxi (defined as a fully automated self-driving vehicle) is lower among those who have ridden (76%) than those who have yet to ride one. (20%). JD Power also noted that non-riders in cities with robotaxi deployments also feel that consumer confidence is higher, 34% higher than the average non-rider.
J.D. Power researchers said these show that “experience remains the primary driver of trust and acceptance.”
“The robotaxi space is still for everyone, given that most people are not familiar with the robotaxi brand and have not formed a clear association with it,” said J.D. Power, senior director of user experience benchmarking and technology. said Kathleen Rizk in her report. “Industry leaders like Cruise and Waymo, along with lesser-known companies like Zoox, May Mobility, and Motional, need to look beyond the adoption market and find ways to educate and build trust among all consumers. .”
JD Power conducted a robotaxi experience survey. Now in its second year, it is based on responses from 773 consumers living in cities with robotaxi services (Dallas, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Francisco) and 3,773 respondents from across the country. . Sample of 3,000 consumers.
The small sample size is indicative of the small but growing robotaxis market. Alphabet Inc.’s Waymo recently expanded its service to Austin and Atlanta through a partnership with Uber.
A pedestrian exits a Waymo self-driving car in front of Google’s San Francisco headquarters on June 7, 2024 in San Francisco, California. (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images) (Smith Collection/Gado via Getty Images)
GM-owned Cruise resumed supervised ride-hailing service in Phoenix and Dallas in May, and also signed a deal with Uber that allows it to hail cars on Uber’s app. Zoox, owned by Amazon, is currently testing robotaxis and said the service will soon be available to the general public in Las Vegas.
And Tesla. The EV giant is holding a robotaxi event titled “We, Robot” on Thursday night, where the company plans to unveil the fully autonomous CyberCab EV, which is the basis of robotaxi. Tesla also plans to announce a software service that will allow current Tesla EVs with full self-driving capabilities to be added to a ride-sharing robotaxi fleet.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk basically said that Tesla is betting on self-driving, AI and robotics. Tesla’s reputation for robotaxi ambitions may be justified, as some members of the general public who ride them appear to be receptive to them, at least according to J.D. Power.
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Musk said the robotaxi business could become a $5 trillion market. That sounds ambitious, but analysts at RBC Capital say it could still be worth $1.7 trillion worldwide by 2040.
Additionally, RBC sees profit margins as much higher than the 5% to 10% typically seen in the auto industry, making the business more attractive for Tesla, which sees itself as more than just a carmaker. There is.
Pras Subramanian is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. you can follow him Twitter And also on Instagram.
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