As robotaxi services expand into more cities and automakers continue adding driver-assistance features to consumer vehicles, more Americans than ever believe fully autonomous cars are on the way. But that doesn’t mean they actually want to own one.
Gallup published the results of a poll on Tuesday examining Americans’ views on autonomous vehicles. Overall, the survey, which was conducted last fall, found that 31% of Americans, roughly one in three, believe driverless cars will be commonly used in the U.S. within the next five years. That’s up from 19% when Gallup last asked the question in 2018. Another 34% said they expect driverless cars to become common within six to 10 years.
Still, even if Americans believe the technology is coming, most are not interested in personally adopting it. When Gallup asked respondents whether they would be likely to own or lease a self-driving car over the next 20 years, just 19% said yes.
The poll arrives as autonomous vehicle technology continues advancing and robotaxi companies rapidly expand operations across the country. Waymo already offers robotaxi rides in 11 cities, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Miami, and Austin, with plans for further expansion. Uber has also announced partnerships with EV makers like Rivian and Lucid to build its own fleet of robotaxis. The company also recently said it plans to invest $100 million into charging hubs designed specifically for autonomous vehicles.
Meanwhile, car makers like Tesla, Mercedes-Benz, and Ford also offer partially automated driving systems on some of their models, though these systems still generally require human oversight.
According to Gallup, about 1 in 10 Americans report already having ridden in a driverless car.
The survey also revealed some interesting demographic divides. Americans with higher incomes appeared more open to the technology. About 25% of respondents with household incomes above $100,000 said they would likely own or lease a driverless car, compared to 15% of respondents making less than $50,000 annually.
A similar trend appeared with education levels. About 24% of college graduates said they would be likely to own or lease an autonomous vehicle, compared to 16% of non-college graduates. Gallup also found that Americans of color were more open to the idea, with 24% saying they would likely own one, compared to 16% of white Americans.
One major issue appears to be safety. Just 6% of Americans said U.S. roads would be safer if every vehicle were fully driverless.
