The Autonomous Car

Automotive consumers are ready for the future and they are ready for self-driving cars. Fifty-nine percent of those we talked are awaiting them with anticipation. Consumers are also very clear about their expectations, concerns, and desires, and they are willing to pay a premium to receive them. In response, automotive and tech organizations are making significant investments in hardware and software and racing to test and pilot vehicles. But are their efforts in tune with consumer demands?

The Capgemini Research Institute decided to find out. In our latest report we surveyed 5,500 consumers and 280 executives from leading organizations in order to:

• Explore consumer readiness for driverless cars
• Understand, in-depth, consumers’ expectations for driverless cars
• Assess automotive companies’ investments in driverless cars, and examine where they risk straying from consumer expectations
• Share recommendations for how organizations can accelerate the journey towards a self-driving future.

Our research suggests that organizations that want to be trailblazers in the field of self-driving cars should start by understanding customer concerns about and expectations from self-driving cars. They must also work internally towards a software-led future where the self-driving car is an integral part of their overall company strategy and not just an innovation project. Moreover, they must develop an ecosystem of services to complement consumers’ experience while in a self-driving vehicle.