auto dealer in black and red logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Many Consumers Suspicious of Robotaxis

New study shows little trust, though many who ride think better of the experience.

October 19, 2023
Many Consumers Suspicious of Robotaxis

Study found 47% of people who use the service gain more trust in the taxis.

IMAGE: Pexels/Andrea Piacquadio

2 min to read


Consumers in general don’t trust driverless taxis, whether they hail them or not, a new study found.

The first U.S. Robotaxi Experience Study by J.D. Power shows just 27% of people who don’t ride in driverless cabs are comfortable sharing roads with them and that only 20% of all consumers are OK with them being tested on nearby roadways.

J.D. Power conducted the nationwide study in July. Though the overall findings paint a dark picture of consumer views on the technology, the researcher actually calls robotaxi riders ambassadors of the automated technology. It found that 47% of people who use the service gain more trust in the taxis and that 51% of riders with an already high level of trust maintained that trust during a driverless ride. Just 2% of riders lost trust during a ride.

“These positive firsthand experiences can help educate other consumers, providing balance to news coverage that often focuses solely on the negative aspects of AVs,” J.D. Power said in a press release on the study.

Driverless taxis operating in San Francisco and a couple of other U.S. metropolitan areas have drawn news coverage when the deployments haven’t gone well.

In August, San Francisco became the first major U.S. city to allow them to operate round-the-clock. In short order, a line of them led to a traffic jam, blocking a city street. This month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a preliminary probe into whether Cruise taxis are operating with necessary caution around pedestrians.

Most riders try self-driving cabs for the novelty of the experience rather than for practicality, J.D. Power said, pointing out that the technology must move beyond that stage to gain wide acceptance. It said almost 60% of riders and nonriders don’t think the cabs drive better than people, despite the idea that they improve road safety.

LEARN MORE: Automated Taxis Probed Over Pedestrian Safety

More Dealer Ops

Auto Dealer Today, Dealer Debrief, 07/15/2026, with Lauren Lawrence
Dealer Opsby Lauren LawrenceJuly 15, 2026

Dealer Debrief: Defection Data & EV Updates

In this week's debrief, host Lauren Lawrence discusses how to use defection data to your advantage and the latest on EV sales and charging infrastructure.

Read More →
Two professionals shake hands while exchanging a car key fob beside a vehicle, symbolizing a vehicle sale, lease agreement, or dealership transaction.
SponsoredJuly 8, 2026

How Defection Data is Bridging the Dealership Conversion Gap

Lead volume is flat, cross-shopping is up and brand loyalty is in retreat. As confident sales teams keep losing buyers they thought they had, daily industry sales data is showing dealers exactly where their funnel is breaking and how to fix it without buying a single new lead.

Read More →
Auto Dealer Today, Dealer Debrief, 07/02/2026 with Lauren Lawrence
Dealer Opsby Lauren LawrenceJuly 2, 2026

Dealer Debrief: Where are you losing customers?

In this week's debrief, host Lauren Lawrence discusses the hidden leaks in dealerships where you might be losing customers without even realizing it.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Auto Dealer Today, Dealer Debrief, 06/25/2026, with Lauren Lawrence
Dealer Opsby Lauren LawrenceJune 26, 2026

Dealer Debrief: Improving Your Inventory Management

In this week's debrief, host Lauren Lawrence covers a new survey that shows what service technicians really want and two launches that could help improve your inventory and vehicle life cycle management.

Read More →
group of people standing in a circle holding puzzle pieces together
Dealer OpsJune 1, 2026

Ladies and Gentlemen, This Is a Dealership: Why the Fundamentals Still Decide Who Wins

A teaching moment by a legendary football coach happens to apply perfectly in the auto retail space. Learn what it is and how to use it to your store’s advantage.

Read More →
Cover image for a BOK Financial report titled “Timing the market: How avoiding volatility entirely can hurt long-term reinsurance program performance.” The image shows several road construction barricades with flashing amber warning lights lined up in a nighttime work zone. Beneath the image, red text explains that avoiding volatility can mean falling behind inflation and missing market rebounds that drive long-term surplus growth. The BOK Financial logo appears at the bottom right.
SponsoredMay 8, 2026

What Market Timing Mistakes Mean for Your Reinsurance Program

When volatility hits, dealer-owned reinsurance programs face a familiar temptation: pull back and wait for calmer waters. New data from BOK Financial shows why that instinct can quietly cost you years of surplus growth.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
two cars on a billboard, No Hidden Fees
ComplianceMay 1, 2026

Dealer Ads and the FTC

The agency has made it clear in recent enforcement actions and warnings, in auto retail and other industries, that advertised prices must include all nonoptional costs to the consumer.

Read More →
Closeup of white car's headlight, front end
Dealer Opsby Hannah MitchellApril 17, 2026

Used Autos Supply Dwindles

The March shopping surge, despite high prices, cut into inventory by the most since the thick of the pandemic, Cox Automotive analysts calculated.

Read More →
hands making protective frame over red car, Risk Reality Check, Be Proactive, Auto Dealer Today logo
Dealer OpsApril 1, 2026

Managing Risk Effectively Through Changing Times

The variables influencing risk pricing have changed significantly over the past five years. Being proactive and responsive to emerging trends is not optional but essential.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Car key, stacks of coins, and a paper car cutout with AutoPayPlus logo, representing auto financing, loan terms, and vehicle affordability trends.
Dealer Opsby StaffMarch 31, 2026

Survey Reveals What Won't Fix What's Breaking Car Sales

AutoPayPlus says extra-long auto loans are trapping consumers and threatening the dealer trade-in cycle, and that the industry is leveraging the wrong tools to combat high MSRPs.

Read More →