As Tesla and Google’s Waymo move forward with autonomous driving, Americans want guardrails

Tesla and Google’s Waymo are speeding ahead with their self-driving car programs whether Americans want them or not.

And judging from new survey data from Electric Vehicle Intelligence Report, Americans generally don’t.

About 70% of Americans wouldn’t ride in a self-driving taxi or robotaxi. About half of them think Tesla’s full self-driving technology should be illegal, with about a third even saying it makes them less likely to buy a Tesla. The data is similar to findings from the beginning of the summer. Since then, the self-driving market has expanded, but seemingly hasn’t won over any more hearts and minds in the process.

Waymo, which now operates autonomous taxis in five cities, has gotten a permit to test its vehicles in New York City. Tesla, which has since rolled out its self-driving cabs in Austin, has said it’s opening its robotaxi service to the public in September.

As self-driving becomes more of a reality, Electric Vehicle Intelligence Report has been asking consumers more specifics about what they want regarding autonomous vehicle companies.

The topics have courted rare American supermajorities:

Nearly 90% of people said that Tesla would be at least partly to blame for deaths related to cars using its full self-driving tech.

Another 78% supported regulation that would require Tesla to advertise full self-driving showing people with their hands on the wheel. (The company directs drivers to keep their hands on the wheel in the owner’s manual but has advertised it as being hands-free.)

70% said autonomous vehicles should employ both cameras and lidar (which is the case for Waymo, but not Tesla), while just 3% said they should use cameras alone (27% were unsure). Meanwhile, 71% said the government should require companies to use both.