The tech in a vehicle is a key driver in purchasing decisions for all ages, but among younger generations, the Harris Poll found that nearly 80% indicated it played a large role in buying their current vehicle.
Driving the news: The Harris Poll’s AutoTECHCAST surveyed 10,000 consumers between April and May on 40 different emerging vehicle technologies.
Zooming in: For Gen Z and Millennials, 78% suggested that the in-car technology led them to choose their current vehicle.
That was a 20% increase from 2016.
For the same two age groups, 79% indicated the vehicle technology would likely lead them to buy their current vehicle again, a 14% boost in the past decade.
Not just for young people: Gen X also indicated their desire for in-car technology, with 63% stating it guided their purchasing decision and 72% stating it would lead them to purchase a similar vehicle model.
For Baby Boomers, 44% pointed to technology as impacting their purchase decision, but 61% stated it impacted their loyalty to a vehicle.
“It’s obviously becoming more and more important to consumers, particularly with younger generations, and there’s a lot of focus on it across the industry,” said Gregory Paratore, VP of Insights and Analytics at The Harris Poll. “There’s a ton of interest, and I think even surprisingly among the boomers in terms.”
Growing interest in tech: Among the 40 different technologies consumers were polled on, fully self-driving vehicles gained the most in interest year-over-year.
In-car payment systems and extended range for EVs each saw a 15% gain in interest.
The smart home ecosystem integration and panoramic display had a double-digit increase in interest.
“Those technologies have good momentum based on their norms, but that doesn’t mean they’re the most coveted features today,” Partore explained. “That doesn’t mean they’re the most coveted features today…The features with lower levels of momentum toward the bottom don’t mean they’re not interested. We know built-in media navigation functionality is highly interesting to consumers.”
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Need for more training: While being interested in the tech, Paratore pointed out that 40% of consumers desired more training on how to use it in their vehicle.
There were 25% of respondents who said they were confused about how to operate the vehicle’s tech.
“I do think there really is a big opportunity for dealers to just set aside more time and work with consumers to make sure that they're fully understanding the technology that's available on their vehicles,” Paratore said.
Bottom line: Buyers, especially younger ones, are looking for technology in their vehicles. Dealers educated on the options available and how to use them will be the ones connecting with these consumers.
“There's a real opportunity to improve dealer experience and drive loyalty just by doing a better job of, you know, teaching consumers and buyers about the technologies that are in the vehicle,” Paratore said.
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