Autonomous cars are coming, so we're told by vehicle manufacturers, the Government and automotive industry insiders.
But when they do eventually become the norm, which ones will Britons buy?
Auto Trader research found people would prefer a vehicle made by established manufacturers like Ford and Audi - or from a firm known for its cars, like Tesla - over brands not associated with motoring, including Apple, Amazon and Google.
Ford leads the way: UK drivers said they are most likely to buy an autonomous car made by the American brand which has accelerated its technology development in the last 24 months
The country's biggest online marketplace for used cars surveyed 5,500 UK motorists about their future buying thoughts to understand which carmakers will be in demand.
While a high number of motorists admitted they're not currently interested in fully-automated vehicles, they did give an impression of which dealership they'll be ordering their driverless cars from.
Just one in five said they will definitely buy a driverless car in the coming years, though acceptance of autonomous vehicles is expected to improve as the technology nears mainstream levels.
Regardless of their opinion about potentially buying one, the motorists were asked which brand they would choose in the eventuality of having to own one in the future.
Those chose to picked from the names listed highlighted how consumers are skewed towards existing car makers instead of tech brands with automotive desires.
Of the top 10 most chosen, just Google infiltrated the list of car maker brands. Ford, Audi and electric car specialist Tesla came out on top.
Apple, Amazon and Uber made it into the top 15, however.
| Car brand | Selected by* | Trust in brand | Brand image | Positive experience | Perceived technology | Perceived safety | Affordability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ford | 7.68% | 79% | 50% | 83% | 43% | 64% | 69% |
| Audi | 6.17% | 82% | 67% | 62% | 65% | 70% | 40% |
| Tesla | 5.95% | 76% | 62% | 15% | 92% | 84% | 43% |
| Mercedes-Benz | 5.95% | 89% | 51% | 70% | 78% | 85% | 18% |
| BMW | 5.80% | 78% | 56% | 65% | 83% | 81% | 27% |
| Volkswagen | 4.74% | 84% | 44% | 75% | 65% | 73% | 54% |
| Honda | 4.67% | 87% | 52% | 73% | 65% | 63% | 50% |
| Toyota | 4.44% | 86% | 47% | 68% | 69% | 73% | 49% |
| 3.24% | 58% | 44% | 79% | 88% | 51% | 47% | |
| Nissan | 2.94% | 77% | 77% | 69% | 54% | 49% | 69% |
| Apple | 2.41% | 91% | 75% | 56% | 97% | 53% | 25% |
| Volvo | 2.33% | 90% | 42% | 58% | 71% | 87% | 35% |
| Hyundai | 1.36% | 72% | 39% | 78% | 83% | 39% | 72% |
| Amazon | 1.28% | 59% | 53% | 94% | 71% | 65% | 53% |
| Uber | 0.68% | 89% | 56% | 67% | 56% | 67% | 44% |
| *When asked to choose a brand that they find most appealing when considering fully-autonomous vehicles, regardless of their attitude to the technology itself, 40.29% declined to choose any brands offered Source: Auto Trader March 2017 Market Report based on 5,500 respondents | |||||||
Tesla, which is very much at the forefront of available semi-autonomous vehicle technology, was highly rated by buyers looking into fully autonomous models
Drivers were then asked to rank the reasons why they selected their favoured brand with the options being: brand trust; brand image; past positive experience; perceived technology; perceived safety; and affordability.
The results showed that the four most voted for carmakers were selected for different reasons.
The highest factor for top-placed Ford was positive experiences in the past while Audi and Mercedes-Benz won people over based on the trust they'd developed in the two luxury brands.
Telsa was the third highest choice, with a 92 per cent rating for perceived technology. Only Apple scored higher on that factor - 97 per cent - but was just the eleventh most chosen brand among motorists.
Uber and Amazon propped up the table, while Apple and Google mixed it among traditional car brands.
Familiarity was key for consumers when they chose Ford as their go-to autonomous car brand - previous experience of owning vehicles like the Fiesta and Focus would see them return to the blue oval brand
Jon Quirk, editor at Auto Trader, said motorists' opinion on driverless cars was 'polarised'.
'Auto Trader's Market Report shares some good news for car manufacturers, with nine car makers featuring in the top ten brands motorist's find most appealing today when considering driverless cars,' he said.
'There will be plenty of collaboration between car makers and tech companies on autonomous cars in the future, but it's clear that when it comes to choosing a brand that motorists find most appealing for autonomous cars today, positive past experiences, perceived technology and trust in the brand are some of the most important factors to consider.
'Car manufacturers have a clear headstart against tech companies here as they've delivered tried and tested on-road products and established trust in their brands in the process.
'Focusing on what's important to car buyers as considerations change around fuel type, efficiency and tech/connectivity features should cement this further - putting car makers in poll position to win the automotive space race.'
Apple scored highly for trust, but struggled on other fronts as consumers swerved tech brands
Despite making moves to test autonomous technology on the roads, drivers felt less enthused about buying an Uber-made vehicle in the future
Motorists have a limited understanding of autonomous cars
The research also showed that there's still to learn about a driverless future.
Only 21 per cent of the respondents claimed to know what a fully-autonomous vehicle was, with awareness dropping off among older drivers.
Interestingly, 19 per cent of those surveyed said they didn't think semi-autonomous cars would be on the road in their lifetime, despite many new cars available on the market today offering semi-driverless technology, such as automatic braking, self-parking and lane assist.
When asked for their predictions on when fully-autonomous cars will be available to consumers, 32 per cent said in the next 10+ years, with almost a quarter (23 per cent) agreeing that they won't be available in their lifetime.
That contrasts with industry research from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders and KPMG which predicted that fully-automated cars will be available in the UK by 2030.
Don't say 'driverless'
Establishing clear definitions of which vehicles can be safely used in automated mode is going to be a crucial part of bringing the technology onto the UK's roads, the Association of British Insurers said on Monday.
Don't use the term 'driverless', carmakers: That was the warning from the ABI
The ABI said it was pleased the Government will take responsibility for specifying which vehicles can be used autonomously and when, suggesting it will help consumers understand the capabilities of their vehicles and make it simpler for insurers to provide appropriate cover.
Insurers also argued that vehicle manufacturers should be responsible in how they describe their cars; the term 'driverless' should never be used it the driver is still required to be alert and available to intervene in the event of a problem, they declared.
Ben Howarth, senior policy adviser on motor and liability at the ABI, said: 'There will need to be a clear system to establish which vehicles can safely be used in autonomous mode, and we look forward to hearing more from the Government about how these standards will be agreed.
'Helping drivers understand what their vehicles are capable of will be vital to the safe and successful roll out of these new technologies.'
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