U.S. consumers say ‘not so fast’ to self-driving cars

U.S. consumers say ‘not so fast’ to self-driving cars

U.S. consumers still resist the notion of self-driving cars, according to a University of Michigan study released on Monday, the latest sign that investors and automakers may be rushing into a business where demand is limited at best.

General Motors’ recent acquisition of Silicon Valley startup Cruise Automation for a reported $1 billion has accelerated a stampede by other automakers, suppliers and venture capital firms looking to invest in or acquire new companies developing self-driving technology.

Consumers, meanwhile, remain concerned about aspects of self-driving technology and “overwhelmingly” still want the ability to manually control a self-driving vehicle, the study said.

“The most frequent preference for vehicle automation continues to be for no self-driving capability,” said the study’s authors, Brandon Schoettle and Michael Sivak.

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