LeasePlan MobilityMonitor: 7 out of 10 (71%) drivers say they would ride in a driverless car

The annual global LeasePlan MobilityMonitor, a large-scale research of nearly 4,000 drivers in 17 countries worldwide, conclude that 7 out of 10 (71%) drivers say they would ride in a driverless car. A majority (57%) of these drivers indicated they would give it a try, despite admittedly feeling slightly nervous, 14% would feel completely comfortable in a driverless vehicle.

Almere, Netherlands, 25-Apr-2016 — /EuropaWire/ — According to the annual global LeasePlan MobilityMonitor, a large-scale research of nearly 4,000 drivers in 17 countries worldwide, 7 out of 10 (71%) drivers say they would ride in a driverless car. A majority (57%) of these drivers indicated they would give it a try, despite admittedly feeling slightly nervous, 14% would feel completely comfortable in a driverless vehicle.

The research was conducted among drivers in Europe, India, Australia and the USA in 2015. The outcomes also show that men are more than twice as likely to feel comfortable in a driverless car as women, with 15% of men saying they would feel completely comfortable compared to only 7% of women. Interestingly, there was no significant distinction between different age groups’ level of ease in riding in a driverless car – drivers over the age of 55 are just as comfortable riding in a driverless car as those under the age of 34.

As the world’s leading fleet management and driver mobility company, operating a fleet of over 1.5 million vehicles worldwide, LeasePlan actively monitors developments around the driverless car. Wolfgang Reinhold, Senior Vice-President Car Remarketing, Operations & Procurement at LeasePlan said: “Our company has a history of embracing innovation. We’ve integrated hybrid cars and electric vehicles into our business for those clients who want to lower their fleet’s carbon footprint. We expect to also make the driverless car part of our service offering in due course, depending on client demand. Since driverless cars are currently in the development and testing phase, it could take some time before this happens.”Reinhold views the driverless car as a good fit with the broad range of mobility solutions currently offered by LeasePlan such as its recently introduced SwopCar car sharing service.

Environmentally friendly cars

The LeasePlan MobilityMonitor also provides interesting new insights on drivers’ preferences for environmentally friendly cars (such as electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids). Nearly half (45%) of the LeasePlan drivers surveyed indicate that environmental benefits are the most important reason to choose a green car. The second most common reason for choosing a green car is tax benefits, according to one out of five drivers globally. This percentage has dropped slightly from 22% in 2014 to 20% in 2015. The third most common reason is that drivers (17%) like the model or make of green cars. Among the respondents that said the environment is the main reason for choosing a green car, the majority are female (52%).
Barriers

The barrier for selecting electric vehicles remains significant. The main reason for not choosing them is the fact that long distance trips are not possible yet, with 71% identifying this as their number one reason. This percentage decreased slightly from the 2014 LeasePlan MobilityMonitor, when 73% of drivers globally indicated the same reason for not choosing an electric vehicle.

Almost half (44%) of the drivers do not select an EV because they are sceptical about the charging infrastructure. In 2014 this percentage was 51%. Over one-third of drivers (34%) say green cars are too costly, which is the same ratio reported in the 2014 study.

LeasePlan currently has over 10.000 electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids in its fleet, primarily in Western Europe, Norway and the US. Some 60% of these vehicles can be found in the fleets of governmental organisations. Local tax incentives, as well as EU and US regulations to reduce CO_² emissions, continue to be important drivers for the adoption of green cars. Following the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris in December 2015, which will lead to further efforts to decarbonise the global economy, it is expected that fuel efficiency and CO_²reduction will become an increasingly important topic for fleet managers.
About LeasePlan MobilityMonitor
Accelerating economic, technological and social developments are shaping the future of mobility ─ and the vehicle leasing industry. LeasePlan aims to unlock valuable knowledge about global mobility throughout its network of companies in 32 countries worldwide. The LeasePlan MobilityMonitor makes it easier for fleet decision makers to stay up to date with key developments and make informed decisions concerning fleet management and driver mobility.

MEDIA CONTACT

###