The study measures vehicle owner interest and purchase intent for emerging automotive technologies, both before and after the market price is revealed. Among vehicle owners who say they “definitely would” or “probably would” purchase these features in their next vehicle, the highest percentage select the following five technologies both pre-price and at market price:

Of the 22 technology features included in the 2013 study, fuel economy indicator and active shutter grille vents capture among the highest interest from vehicle owners. Fuel economy indicator is second highest in pre-price feature interest, followed by active shutter grille vents.

In recent years, automotive brands have rolled out fuel economy assisting technology, which has helped increase familiarity with the technology and its benefits. The active shutter grille vents feature is currently available on select domestic vehicles. Among owners who recently purchased from one of the domestic makes that offers a model with active shutter grille vents, 83% indicate pre-price interest in the feature, which is 7 percentage points higher than the study average at 76%.

Not unexpectedly, purchase interest declines across all features when a price is introduced. However, fuel economy indicator and active shutter grille vents have among the lowest drops in interest once price is introduced (decreasing 7 percentage points and 16 percentage points, respectively), compared with other technology features examined in the study. In part, fuel economy indicator and active shutter grille vents maintain vehicle owner interest because of their lower relative pricing at $50 and $150, respectively.

Smartphones. During the past five years, there has been rapid adoption of smartphones. More than 67% of vehicle owners have a smartphone, while ownership of traditional mobile phones has plummeted to 28% in 2013 from 82% in 2007, when J.D. Power began measuring ownership of traditional phones.

Vehicle owners have high expectations for their smartphone to easily integrate with the system in their vehicle. They want to use their smartphone in-vehicle with the same ease and functionality they have become accustomed to in their personal or business life. However, a key challenge is that many owners keep their vehicles for more than five years, and software upgrades for device linking technology lags the introductions of new smartphones.

In the 2013 study, 82% of vehicle owners with smartphones cite pre-purchase interest in an in-vehicle device/application link that would connect their smartphone to their vehicle’s infotainment system, compared with 78% in 2012. Owners want their infotainment system powered by their smartphone to keep their vehicle technology up to date. The physical proximity of one’s smartphone continues to be a concern, as vehicle owners struggle with the limitations of hands-free technology, generating interest in natural language voice activation systems.

Vehicle owners in Generation Y (born 1977-1995) are more likely to be interested in device application linking technology at every price level, but the largest interest increases from 2012 are among Early Boomers, those who were born between 1947 and 1953 (increasing 7 percentage points pre-price; 14 percentage points at $250), which indicates high potential to purchase this technology. Pre-price purchase interest is also higher among men, compared with women, and owners of compact sporty and midsize premium sporty cars, compared with owners in all other vehicle segments.

Autonomous driving. Fully autonomous driving is still a relatively new concept. While market price interest rises slightly (21% in 2013 vs. 20% in 2012), overall acceptance has room to grow. In recent years, various semi-autonomous driving modes have been implemented in vehicles, particularly those in premium segments. There is greater interest in semi-autonomous modes such as emergency braking and steering (40%) and automatic park assist (32%) than in a fully autonomous mode.

Men show high interest at market price for low-speed collision avoidance (58%), emergency braking and steering (42%) and fully autonomous driving (23%). Younger owners are more interested in emerging driving technologies, with Generation X (born 1965-1976) having the highest market price interest in low-speed collision avoidance (59%) and Generation Y having the highest market price interest for emergency braking and steering (44%).

Research conducted by J.D. Power’s Consumer Insight and Strategy Group to track social media activity regarding automotive energy, device/application linking and autonomous driving technology finds:

• Consumers believe that vehicle infotainment systems are inferior to their smartphones and tablets and want more mobile apps and control of software updates to integrate with their vehicle.

• Energy technology mentions on social media have shown a notable increase within the past year, as consumers have placed a heightened emphasis on saving fuel. However, fuel economy-conscious vehicle owners seem to struggle with the unfamiliarity of stop/start technology and many social media mentions focus on how to turn this feature off altogether.

• Interest in fully or semi-autonomous driving features primarily originates from wanting to have the latest technology, with the safety benefit being an added bonus. However, consumers still want the responsibility of driving their own vehicle until these technologies fully gain consumer confidence and trust.

The 2013 US Automotive Emerging Technologies Study is based on responses from more than 16,758 vehicle owners. The study was fielded in March 2013. The study includes 22 primary technologies, each with related secondary technologies such as; analyses on infotainment/connectivity safety- and energy-related emerging features; a key emerging technologies packaging exercise; an emerging technologies adoption calculator; and an expanded psychographic and lifestyle-driven analysis.