Survey: Germans are open to autonomous means of transportation

Germans are so open to new mobility concepts. According to a recent Bitkom survey, 99% would be willing to use an autonomous means of transportation. Autonomous underground and suburban trains (72%) and buses (70%) are particularly popular, but autonomous cars (57%), autonomous ships (34%), and airplanes (26%) are also attracting interest.

Whether autonomous driving really has a future divides the population: 53% see it as the coming standard, while 43% consider it to be hype. “Autonomous driving is no longer a utopia. In addition to developments in the USA, China, and Singapore, numerous pilot projects in Germany also impressively demonstrate the potential of this technology,” said Bitkom CEO Ralf Wintergerst at a press conference at the IAA.

According to the survey, people also have high hopes for the use of AI: 88 percent would like AI to help them find a parking space, for example, and 76 percent would let it take over driving control in an emergency. More than half would even like AI to intervene directly in the event of risky driving behavior. 83 percent also expressed interest in AI-supported traffic lights, while 79 percent see hope in using AI to detect impaired driving. Another opportunity is seen by 77 percent in theft protection and automatic appointment booking for the garage (56 percent).

Growing demand for car sharing and co.

According to the survey, demand is also growing for car sharing, partly because driving is expensive (40 percent) or because there is a shortage of parking spaces where people live (12 percent). Many Germans already use bikes, e-scooters, or car sharing (around a third in each case). 75 percent see this as a good alternative to private vehicles. Interest is particularly high in cities, but there is often a lack of offers in rural regions. According to Wintergerst, this is precisely where there could be great potential if sharing models were made more widely available. Two-thirds of drivers would give up their private car under certain conditions—especially if local transport were better developed, cheaper, or more convenient.

According to Wintergerst, digital technologies are crucial for the future of the German automotive industry. “Without cooperation with tech companies” and without massive investment in digital innovations, the German automotive industry will fall behind internationally. This is due to the enormous challenges posed by geopolitical tensions, rising tariffs, and European regulations such as the planned phase-out of combustion engines from 2035.

At the same time, Wintergerst pointed to the “high level of investment by the industry,” which, according to the German Mobile Industry Association, will invest around 320 billion euros in electromobility, battery technologies, and digitalization between 2025 and 2029. Nevertheless, only 11% of respondents believe it is likely that German car manufacturers will win the race for autonomous driving. Car manufacturers such as Toyota, Ford, and Kia are on a par. Chinese brands such as Nio or BYD are considered to have a much better chance with 33 percent, as well as US tech companies such as Google, Apple, Uber, or Tesla (16 percent).

Wintergerst called on politicians to coordinate investments in transport infrastructure more closely. According to him, “not only asphalt and concrete” but “also bits and bytes” need to be invested so that Germany can keep up with autonomous driving. Specifically, he suggested large model regions to test technologies comprehensively instead of distributing individual pilot projects over small areas. Around 1,000 people aged 16 and over took part in the representative survey.

(mack)