Mistrust in Self-Driving Cars is on the Rise: AAA Study

An American Automobile Association’s (AAA) study has revealed shifting attitudes with self-driving cars.

According to the study, 73 percent of American drivers are afraid of riding in an autonomous vehicle, signaling a 10 percent jump from a January study, with two-thirds reporting feeling less safe if they were to share the road with one. Millennials surveyed posted the most significant shift, with 64 percent reporting in the negative over a late 2017 figure of 49 percent.

“Despite their potential to make our roads safer, in the long run, consumers have high expectations for safety,” said Greg Brannon, director of Automotive Engineering and Industry Relations at AAA. “Our results show that any incident involving an autonomous vehicle is likely to shake consumer trust, which is a critical component to the widespread acceptance of autonomous vehicles.”

The shifts in attitudes could be attributed to the slate of well-publicized crashes involving autonomous vehicles, including an Uber self-driving program vehicle killing an Arizona pedestrian last March, a non-fatal Tesla Model S crash in Utah, and a Model X crash in California where its Autopilot system was scrutinized.

The AAA used randomly selected 1,014 adults to complete the survey, with a 4 percent plus or minus margin of error.

30 Million Americans Would Consider Buying An Electric Car

AAA conducted a survey of 1,004 Americans in February to find out how they feel about electric vehicles. The results show that 15% are considering an electric car when they buy their next car. AAA says that translates into 30 million people — one seventh of the US car buying population. “With their lower ownership costs and compatibility with emerging autonomous technologies, electric vehicles are poised to be a key vehicle of the future,” says Greg Brannon, AAA’s director of automotive engineering.

What AAA finds significant about the poll results is that interest in electric cars remains fairly strong despite relatively low gas prices. AAA conducts the survey every year and finds the level of interest is about the same as it was five years ago when gas prices were considerably higher.

The survey showed interest among millennials was somewhat higher than the average. 18% of people in that age bracket told the pollsters they would consider an electric car next time around. Concern for the environment, lower long term costs, desire for the latest technology, and access to car pool lanes are all factors that contribute to the interest in electric vehicles.

The survey also showed that nearly one third of potential car buyers would consider a hybrid or plug-in hybrid car. The fear of running out of battery power while away from home is the biggest factor people mention when talking about why they would not consider an all electric car.

Demonstrating the schizophrenia the American public has about big government and CAFE regulations, 70 percent of car buyers say they consider fuel economy to be an important thing to weigh when selecting a new car. Other factors that are high on their priority list are safety technology, brand recognition, styling, and smartphone connectivity.

The AAA survey makes a liar out of Ford CEO Mark Fields, who continues to insist that nobody wants to buy electric cars. Pssst. Hey, Mark. 15% of car buyers says they would consider buying an electric car. That’s the same percentage as those who told AAA they would consider buying a pickup truck.

Having pigheaded leaders like Fields in charge of one of America’s leading car companies is one reason why the electric car revolution continues to lag behind expectations in America. Mark, here’s a thought. How about showing some leadership skills to go along with that fancy salary of yours?

Source: AAA

In 2015 gas was cheaper than 2014, will be cheaper in 2016

According to the latest data from AAA, Americans paid less at the pumps this year than they have since 2009. And gasoline could get even cheaper next year.

AAA reports that the average price paid at filling stations across the United States was $2.40 per gallon. That's an average of 94 cents less per gallon than American motorists paid last year. The current national average is just $2 per gallon, which is the lowest average price recorded on New Year's Eve since 2008, and the national average for December was barely more at $2.01 – the lowest it's been since March 2009.

Furthermore, 71 percent of stations across the US are selling gas for less than $2 per gallon, which can be found at at least one station in 47 of the states in the Union. If you looked hard hard enough, you might have even found one of the 16,000+ stations selling gas for under $1.75 (like the Mobil station pictured above in Livonia, MI). Okay, maybe not if you live in California, which for the first time in history had the highest average prices in the nation. But prices were better in the Southeast – especially in South Carolina, but recorded the lowest average prices in the country for the fourth year running.

What that all boils down to is that Americans saved about $115 billion on gasoline this past year compared to the year before. That's more than $550 in every licensed driver's pocket, on average. And the outlook for gas prices for the year ahead looks even better: AAA projects that the average price Americans will pay throughout 2016 will land between $2.25 and $2.45 – or a good ten cents per gallon less (give or take) than the already low prices paid this year.

AAA Year-End Gas Price Report
Gas Prices This Year Averaged About 94 Cents per Gallon Less than 2014

· The national average price of gas in 2015 was $2.40 per gallon, which was the second cheapest annual average of the past ten years. Only 2009 was lower during that time. This year's annual average was about 94 cents per gallon less than 2014.

· AAA estimates that Americans saved more than $115 billion on gasoline this year compared to 2014, which was an average of more than $550 per licensed driver.

· The annual average price of gas in recent years was $3.34 (2014), $3.49 (2013), $3.60 (2012), $3.51 (2011), $2.78 (2010) and $2.35 (2009).

· The most expensive daily national average of the year was $2.804 per gallon on June 15, while the lowest was $1.998 per gallon on December 21. Average gas prices dropped below $2 on December 21 for the first time since March 25, 2009.

· The average price of diesel in 2015 was $2.71 per gallon, which was the lowest average for the fuel since 2009. Last year diesel averaged $3.81 per gallon.

· The average price of premium gasoline in 2015 was $2.84 per gallon, which was about 87 cents per gallon less than the previous year. The average difference between regular and premium was 44 cents per gallon in 2015, which was the largest difference on record.

· Fuel prices remained relatively low throughout the year due to a worldwide glut in crude oil. There was more than enough oil to meet demand around the world, and that allowed oil prices to drop to the lowest levels since 2009.

Average Gas Prices Close Out the Year at $2 per Gallon

· Today's national average price of gas is $2 per gallon, which is the lowest average for New Year's Eve since 2008. Today's average is about 26 cents per gallon less than a year ago.

· The national average price of gas for December was $2.01 per gallon, which was the lowest monthly average since March 2009.

· Gas prices are lower than $2 per gallon in most parts of the country. About 71 percent of U.S. stations are selling gas for less than $2 per gallon today, and drivers can find at least one station selling gas for less than $2 in 47 states.

· The cheapest one percent of stations are selling gas for an average of $1.56 per gallon, and more than 16,000 stations across the country are selling gas for less than $1.75 per gallon.

· The five states with the lowest average prices today include: Missouri ($1.72), Oklahoma ($1.75), South Carolina ($1.75), Arkansas ($1.75) and Tennessee ($1.76).

· The five states with the highest prices today include: California ($2.85), Hawaii ($2.69), Nevada ($2.51), Washington ($2.47) and Alaska ($2.47).

Californians Paid Highest Gas Prices in 2015 for First Time on Record

· California had the most expensive annual average of any state in 2015 for the first time on record. California's annual average was $3.16 per gallon. California's refineries experienced a significant number of problems throughout the year, which disrupted regional production and kept gas prices higher than expected.

· Gas prices in Southern California were even higher than the rest of the state. For example, the annual average in Los Angeles was $3.29 per gallon in 2015.

· The next most expensive states for gasoline included Hawaii ($3.10), Alaska ($2.97), Nevada ($2.86), Washington ($2.73) and Oregon ($2.68).

· Despite paying relatively high prices throughout the year, California's average was still 59 cents per gallon less than 2014, due to the relatively low cost of crude oil.

· Since 2000, Hawaii has typically been the most expensive state for gasoline, and its average was the highest for 13 out of the previous 16 years. Alaska's average was highest in 2008 and 2009.

Drivers in Southeastern United States Paid the Lowest Gas Prices in 2015

· South Carolina's annual average price of gas was the cheapest in the country for the fourth year in a row at $2.10 per gallon, and this also was the lowest annual average for the state since 2004. Drivers in South Carolina paid about $1 less during the year than in 2014.

· The next lowest gas prices were also in the Southeastern U.S. in Mississippi ($2.14), Alabama ($2.15), Tennessee ($2.16) and Louisiana ($2.18).

· Drivers in many Southeastern states benefit from relatively low gasoline taxes and access to abundant refinery production along the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Drivers May Pay Even Less for Gasoline in 2016

· Gas prices are likely to remain relatively low in 2016. AAA estimates the annual average price of gas in 2016 is likely to end up between $2.25 and $2.45 per gallon, which would be cheaper or at least comparable to this year's average of $2.40 per gallon.

· Based on typical seasonal trends, the national average price of gas could remain relatively flat or drop another 10 cents per gallon over the next few weeks. By late winter, the national average could rise 50 cents per gallon or more as refineries conduct seasonal maintenance in advance of the busy summer driving season. Despite the likelihood of higher prices by spring, AAA does not expect the national average price of gas to rise above $3 per gallon in 2016.

· Regional gas prices will continue to vary dramatically around the country in 2016. Problems with local refinery production, especially during spring maintenance and the busy summer driving season, could temporarily send regional gas prices much higher than the national average. Just as in 2015, it is possible that some areas could see prices higher than $3 per gallon.

· There is significant uncertainty over the potential cost of crude oil in 2016, though most analysts expect the market will remain oversupplied throughout the year. There currently is a glut of crude oil around the world that has grown faster than demand, and that situation is unlikely to change significantly as Iranian oil enters the marketplace and because the global economy is growing at a relatively weak pace.

· It is possible that gas prices could rise higher than expected if there are significant changes in the oil markets. Some analysts have predicted that low prices will significantly limit oil production in the United States and in other higher-cost production countries, which could allow supply and demand to rebalance by the end of 2016. Alternatively, it also is possible that political events and conflict could unexpectedly disrupt oil production. Either of these possibilities could lead to higher than predicted oil and gasoline prices for Americans.

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• News Source: AAA
• Image Credit: Joshua Lott/Getty