Shocker: Consumers Don't Care About Auto Tech, Survey Finds

This may come as a surprise to many, but consumers don't care about the seemingly everyday announcements from auto companies regarding self-driving vehicles, electric/hybrid vehicles and ride-sharing services.

Tech.pinions, a website dedicated to perspectives on the tech industry published an essay on Tuesday which was also posted on Recode.

Tech.Pinions cited a survey conducted by Technalysis Research, which polled 1,000 U.S. consumers who own a car and are planning to purchase one over the next two years.

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The survey found that while there are "pockets of interest" in the future of auto technology, it doesn't "neatly line up" with the plethora of announcements the auto sector is "trying to foist onto our collective consciousness."

Here are the five major takeaways from the survey.

1. Consumers are "moving at a slower pace" toward technology adoption than the many in the auto industry will admit.
2. Among 12 characteristics such as price, size, performance, etc., consumers ranked autonomous driving features and an electric/hybrid drivertrain "dead last, even for future purchases."
3. New car buyers want just "simpler changes" in new model upgrades.
4. Tech-related safety issues, such as blind-spot warnings with automatic interventions, are well regarded.
5. The percentage of people across nearly every age and gender group who expressed a modest or greater interest in a car with autonomous features is higher than the percentage of people who want a car with an electric or hybrid setup.

"These survey results reflect the challenges that automakers, suppliers and tech companies are going to have in trying to make more advanced automotive technologies mainstream," the report concluded. "There are clearly some consumers who are eager and excited to get into these new tech-savvy cars, but based on real-world feedback, it looks to be a very modestly-sized group."