SAN FRANCISCO — What do consumers want in a self-driving car?
Try hands-free navigation through darkness and inclement weather, in-car tech that seamlessly integrates with at-home devices and the ability to seek out parking spaces, all preferably with no increase in price.
The findings, out Friday, are part of an extensive survey on attitudes toward autonomous vehicles conducted by Pittsburgh's Carnegie Mellon University, which for decades has had faculty and students researching futuristic modes of transport.
The CMU poll revealed that once self-driving cars do become a reality, only a third plan to use them as a mobile office, and fewer than 10% said they had interest in having coffee freshly made by an in-car machine. Entertainment seems to be the name of the commuting game, with video games and movies the prime distraction.
"These cars are coming, and consumers know it," says Donna Sturgess, chief marketing officer at CMU's college of engineering. "We've always been focused on the safety these vehicles can provide, and it's nice to see that consumers are interested in the very same thing."
Respondents to the CMU survey, which polled 1,000 adults ages 18-70 evenly split between men and women, overwhelmingly rejected (95%) the notion that self-driving cars should be to "throw a car party on the move." But 52% envisioned spending their new free time eating lunch and using mobile devices.
When it comes to working in a car that's driving itself, more men than women said they would be trading stocks or engaging with the entertainment system through a dash-mounted TV or Wi-Fi-connected computer. More women than men said they would spend time reading a book or planning a trip.