Second Edition of the VEDECOM & MACIF Autonomous Vehicle Barometer

Three out of four French people are in favor of the autonomous vehicle, which could play a decisive role in rural areas

The second edition of the VEDECOM & MACIF barometer on the acceptability of the autonomous vehicle by the French reveals that 73% of them have a positive attitude towards this means of transportation: an increase of 3 percentage points compared to 2020 (equivalent to about 2 million of the French population).

In 2020, the French had a positive perception of the automated vehicle, given that it’s introduced in a context of environmental preservation and improvement of inclusive mobility. With the growth of autonomous mobility experiments on the French territory, has the perception of the French changed in 2021? Do they see themselves using it regularly, everywhere and for everyone? What do they expect from it?

“Mobility for all, autonomy for all: this is the ambition of our community of interest on shared autonomous vehicles for the past 3 years. The autonomous vehicle must first meet a societal need before being a technology used by individual drivers. It’s in this way that the shared autonomous shuttle will help to revitalize isolated areas by providing access to employment, health care or by making mobility accessible to all.” Yann Arnaud, Director of Responses to Member’s Needs and Innovation at Macif and Leader of the Autonomous Vehicle Community of Interest.

 

More than 50% of French people are ready to try it

18% of respondents have already seen an automated vehicle, 6% more than in 2020. More and more people want to test it, and 5% have had the opportunity to use one this year (2 points more than in 2020).

More than half of the French people (53.50%) say they intend to try autonomous mobility in the coming years (+11 pts). More than 6 out of 10 say so when they have already seen an automated vehicle (+15 pts) and more than 7 out of 10 when they have already used one (+10 pts). In general, nearly 4 out of 10 French people (39%) plan to regularly use an autonomous vehicle (+6 pts).

Iifography 1

The autonomous shuttle: a way to revitalize remote areas

The autonomous vehicle is highly anticipated in rural areas to provide for day-to-day services (e.g., on-demand services for isolated seniors or last-mile deliveries to industrial zones). It will finally make mobility accessible to all. A new way to get around? Yes for 67% of French people who believe that the shared autonomous vehicle will allow people living in rural areas to no longer be dependent on the private car. Nearly 3/4 of them think that shared autonomous shuttles would be useful in rural areas to go to appointments or to do shopping and 2/3 to go to the nearest town, the nearest train station or to work.

Automated mobility would respond to a concern that the French have for the most vulnerable populations. It would be useful in rural areas for the elderly (for 81% of respondents), then for those who do not have a driver’s license (78%), who do not have a car (74%), or for people with reduced mobility (64%). One French out of two would also be in favor of transporting children and teenagers in rural areas by autonomous shuttles.

Reaching out to those who will need it most

Although still low, the visibility of the autonomous vehicle is increasing throughout the country, including among rural residents. 12% of rural residents have already seen an automated vehicle, a figure that is up 4 points from 2020, but only 2% have used one (+ 1 point) compared to 7% of urban residents (+ 2 points).

The visibility of the automated vehicle is higher and growing more quickly among young people, city dwellers and executives: 24% of the 18-24 years old have seen an automated vehicle (+6 points), 23% of city dwellers (+7 points) and 22% of executives (+4 points). More than 8% of the latter have already tried an automated vehicle (+3 points). There is therefore an educational balance to be found between urban and rural populations, but also between young and old.

As for the unemployed, only 3.5% have tried an automated vehicle. This is a progression, though, since none had tried one last year.

 

Infography 2

The autonomous vehicle, associated with green energies

Autonomous vehicle is perceived as more ecological than non-autonomous vehicles by nearly 63% of respondents (+ 3 pts); 77% (+ 7 pts) of them even think that compliance with ecological standards will be mandatory. 62% of the French perceive the ecological side of the shared autonomous shuttle more than for individual automated vehicles, for which they have a reservation.

 

6 out of 10 French people say they are safer in an autonomous vehicle

Trust and safety is the second element that encourages the French to use an autonomous vehicle. Moreover, the same as last year, nearly 6 out of 10 French people (57.80%) say they feel safe in an automated vehicle and more than 5 out of 10 (54%; +2 pts) think that this vehicle is reliable.

The respondents consider using an autonomous vehicle as soon as they have seen or tested it at least once. To try it is to adopt it!

More confidence among the youngest respondents for level 3 – More than half of the French say they trust automated vehicles (+3 points). There is a 14 points increase in the 18-24 age group, with 41% trusting at least limited automated driving (i.e., level 3).

 

Autonomous mobility, symbol of freedom

 When asked this year about the main elements that would encourage them to use an autonomous vehicle in general, the French mention the first, the possibilities of well-being and freedom that it brings (41% of responses). Autonomy is associated with comfort and serenity, via the on-board activities it makes possible (talking on the phone, sleeping…). Autonomous mobility everywhere and for everyone is also very appealing to the French, who are already planning to use it in concrete ways (e.g., improving mobility for the elderly and connections between cities).

However, when the French have the choice between different types of automated vehicles, they prefer the one that allows them to be able to regain control (level 3) in order, for 55% of them, to keep the mastery and maintain complete command of the car.

 

Trying would be adopting it

The results of this second edition clearly show that the introduction of automated vehicles, as well as the more advanced experiments, have an impact: they maintain the positive perception of the French and their a priori confidence, as well as reinforce their feeling of safety. Awareness and perception indicators confirm that the French need to know more about this new kind of mobility.

INfography 3

For Eric Lebeau, Managing Director of the VEDECOM Institute, “this second survey clearly shows the direct and positive link between experimentation and acceptability of the autonomous vehicle: it is now time to move on to deployment and to observation during real-life operational service pilots. The popularity rating of autonomous vehicle is slowly but surely improving, with a strong expectation for shared and electric services such as shuttles, which are perceived as more environmentally friendly and inclusive than the individual vehicle.”

The major expectation is in rural areas where autonomous mobility makes sense. Autonomous shuttles will be relevant in these areas to improve the existing network and therefore the mobility of residents who do not have access to a personal vehicle, to provide new services, and to encourage car owners to use shared formulas.

“We still need to structure a sector that can respond to the needs of the local authorities, both in terms of opportunity studies, vehicles supply, services and appropriate infrastructure,” concludes Eric Lebeau.

 

Methodology of the VEDECOM & MACIF Acceptability Barometer

The Automated Vehicle (AV) Acceptability Barometer was conducted with a representative panel of the French population (gender, age, geographic distribution) consisting of 4,061 people. The questionnaire was administered from October 18 to 28, 2021. The questions asked made it possible to collect data on :

  • the relationship with the autonomous vehicle and in particular the main brakes and levers for using an automated vehicle
  • the preferred type of autonomous vehicle to be chosen among 4: Personal Vehicle (PV) level 3 (limited autonomous driving), PV level 4 (almost complete autonomy), Robot cab level 5 (complete autonomy), Bus / autonomous shuttle level 5
  • evaluation of the acceptability of the 4 vehicles including in particular the perception of the AV in terms of safety, trust, protection of personal data and attitudes (i.e. judgments on the desirability of an object or a behavior and/or its consequences, a positive attitude towards the AV amounts to judging it desirable whereas a negative attitude amounts to judging it undesirable) and the reasons for these choices
  • themes related to current issues: ecology, mobility in rural areas, energy, deliveries
  • the socio-demographic characteristics of respondents and their degree of technophilia (i.e., a technophile is a person who appreciates and/or encourages new technologies).

The barometer was built on the basis of the previous edition, new scientific studies and a series of interviews conducted with French people.

 

Download press release Download a 2 pages infography

Back to school… time to learn: VEDECOM launches MobTips, the first digital mapping of new mobility in France

With the arrival of new services and uses of electric, hybrid, autonomous and shared mobility, the transport and automotive ecosystem is undergoing unprecedented changes, both social, economic and technological. A “Mobility” sector is emerging, more complex and multifaceted. There is a growing need to share and understand a common language between all mobility actors, from designer to user. To clarify the issues related to new mobility, VEDECOM, a French Institute for Energy Transition (ITE), is launching Mobtips, the first reference system dedicated to “the words of mobility”. Mobtips’s mission is to share a French common vocabulary and make the changes and new mobility concepts understandable to a large audience in a fun way.To visit VEDECOM’s Mobtips site: https://mobtips.fr This initiative received financial support from the SGPI (French State investments for future programs) and the Automotive Industry Platform (PFA).

Read the press release

From pedestrian to autonomous vehicle… A public survey is on line!

L’évolution du véhicule autonome passera nécessairement par la communication, l’échange d’informations et l’amélioration de ses capacités de perception à l’environnement. Il parait ainsi essentiel que les véhicules autonomes et les piétons cohabitent et interagissent entre eux en toute sécurité.

Cependant, aujourd’hui de nombreuses questions subsistent notamment une : quel sera le comportement d’un piéton face au véhicule autonome ?

C’est dans ce cadre que les chercheurs de l’institut VEDECOM lancent un questionnaire en ligne portant sur le véhicule autonome et la communication avec les autres usagers de la route.

Ce questionnaire dure une trentaine de minutes environ, nous comptons sur vous !

Toutes vos réponses sont essentielles pour poursuivre notre travail de recherche.


Pour répondre à notre questionnaire :

Participer à l’enquête

Merci à tous pour votre participation et la diffusion de cette enquête autour de vous !

Release : a preliminary analysis of autonomous vehicles to avoid running off course

Release : a preliminary analysis of autonomous vehicles to avoid running off course

Is this the end of accidents, gridlock, and pollution ? Many are those who consider the arrival of autonomous vehicles on our roads as key to responding to current mobility challenges. But thus far, the technological questions have overshadowed the essential debates and any reasoned approach has been clouded by the fantasies generated by autonomous vehicles.

In an effort to get to the bottom of this burning issue, Jean-Pierre Orfeuil and Yann Leriche, two of the most prominent experts in the field, are releasing their book “Piloting the Autonomous Vehicle – Serving the City” this Thursday, March 7, 2019, from Descartes & Cie’s Mobile Cultures Collection.

According to them, autonomous vehicles, whatever their disruptive potential, will not be designing a new world on an blank sheet of paper. After providing an overview of our current understanding of the subject and delving into each development hypothesis, the authors review the concrete conditions we will set for the arrival of autonomous vehicles in our cities and lives. They have developped a unique analysis tool : TRUST. They thus invite us to move forward to prevent the promised autonomous vehicle running off course, but allow it to develop towards the collective good.

Read the press release

Book cover translation : “There is an important difference between the autonomous vehicle and the use of the aforementioned objects and systems. The use of the internet or a smartphone falls within a private relationship.”

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VEDECOM and the Institut pour la Ville en Mouvement (IVM) attend AUTONOMY 2018, from 18 to 20 October

VEDECOM and the Institut pour la Ville en Mouvement (IVM) attend AUTONOMY 2018, from 18 to 20 October

Focus on learning on new mobilities: How to better understand the transformations underway in the mobility ecosystem. Existing and future support systems…

We are delighted to announce our participation in AUTONOMY, the Summit on Urban Mobility from 18 to 20 October, 2018, at the Grande Halle de La Villette.
For this third edition, we will address the hot topic of learning on new mobilities. Given the technical complexity and upheaval in the roles of players, it is becoming essential to use training for better understanding.
Many organisations (training organisations, associations, etc.) are committed to this subject and are offering a variety of innovative solutions to meet the needs for acquisition of skills for the entire new mobility ecosystem, including manufacturers and service operators, local authorities, start-ups and citizens.

We hope to see many of you to discuss the current changes and the existing and future learning systems. The aim is to better understand the emerging technologies and uses.

To reserve your ticket to the exhibition and share our experience, go to: https://www.autonomy.paris/reservez-votre-pass/
[30% discount with code *AUTONOMYVEDECOM2018*].

 

Round table on learning about mobilities; join in the discussion:

Mobility systems and services are profoundly changing. The new technologies and the many uses make situations complicated. To design and deploy sustainable, safe and useful mobility systems and services, we need to understand them and experience them.

What are the needs of the players attending (manufacturers, local authorities, users)? How are these needs taken into account? What are the learning systems that exist or can be developed?

Come and discuss these questions at our round table: Learning about mobilities presented by VEDECOM and attended by prestigious schools, local authorities and manufacturers on Friday 19 October 2018 at 2pm.

Speakers:

Coralie Renard: Marketing and Sales Manager – Autonomous Transport Systems – TRANSDEV
Geneviève Metz: Director of Telecom Evolution and Specialised Telecom Masters Paris Tech
Carole Forte: Director of Mobility services Rambouillet Regions – TORNADO experiment project manager
Mireille Apel-Muller: Director of the Institut pour la Ville en Mouvement-VEDECOM
Sylvie Thromas: Training Programme Director – VEDECOM

Preview our e-learning on self-driving vehicles:

The stakes for self-driving vehicles are numerous: they involve new embedded technologies and connectivity, as well as the new uses that they are generating. Their incorporation into the economic and social fabric, the offering of services and uses, and the development of urban spaces are also called into question by the arrival of these new objects. What is the situation at present? What is the outlook? VEDECOM is responding with a new immersion training module, online and accessible to all.

Come and experience it at our booth from 18 to 20 October 2018

  En Route “, a learning kit to broaden the range of mobility actions

Not all citizens are equal with respect to the complexity of cities and their networks. Today still, there are obstacles (of varying degrees depending on individuals) of a cognitive, psycho-social and cultural nature, which are significant for around one quarter of France’s population: more than one in four people consider that they are not equipped to use the transport systems offered by their city (source: Obsoco, Chronos, Ademe, CGET, VEDECOM, 2017) and respectively 22% and 29% of people have given up trying to reach a destination that they do not know, either due to emotional apprehension (fear of getting lost, not arriving), or due to lack of information or organisation for travel (source: Elabe, 2018). Given this reality, IVM has designed an instructional serious game intended for all audiences. Through role-playing in various travel scenarios, it helps players find their way in a complex urban environment, and uses humour to soothe feelings of panic and urgency.

Learn how to play the game “En route! ” and discover your mobility profile at our booth E28 from 18 to 20 October 2018. See the teaser.

 Decision-makers and urban planners – do you have all the tools to successfully conduct a self-driving vehicle experiment? 

The recent laws on Mobility and the Strategic Positioning Plan for public action for Development of automated vehicles invites players from the relevant regions to test innovative mobility solutions, including the use of self-driving vehicles. However, implementing an experiment using self-driving vehicles is complex. Learning about technologies, project organisation (roles of players, financing, administration, etc.) and citizen involvement are the major issues and those that require support.

Share VEDECOM’s feedback via our new training for local authorities to help them prepare for a self-driving vehicle  experiment.

 

Take the challenge and try to win a spot in one of our training courses:

Self-driving vehicles arouse our imaginations and are a hot topic of discussion… The gap between scientific reality and the narrative concerning this issue is sometimes disconcerting… And it requires constant vigilance to sort through the flow of information. To separate truth from rumour on self-driving vehicles, experts from VEDECOM Institute have designed a quiz with 10 Q&As: Test yourself and try to win a spot in one of our training courses!

We will also be presenting a number of initiatives from our partners and players in the ecosystem, including:

  • New MOOCs and online content, accessible to all
  • New further training and/or diploma qualification
  • Innovative third-party places for mobility
  • Planning or learning games

And above all: tell us what you think: over to you!

Is your connection to new mobilities professional or personal?
Do you feel a need for training or advice for yourself or your teams?
Tell us what you need in terms of support: we are listening!

Download the programme in PDF 

Read the press release

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Séminaire international “L’espace de la mobilité comme projet”

Séminaire international “L’espace de la mobilité comme projet”

Une perspective franco-latino-américaine

L’Institut pour la ville en mouvement-VEDECOM et la Faculté d’Architecture et d’Urbanisme de l’Université Fédérale de Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) organisent un séminaire international le 7 juin 2018 à l’UFRJ, en collaboration avec l’Ambassade de France au Brésil (Délégation Régionale de Coopération pour l’Amérique du Sud) et la Fondation Furban.

Cet événement passera en revue les concours, les expositions et diverses activités liées au programme de recherche Passages. Depuis 2014, cette exposition met en focus l’importance de ces petits espaces de la mobilité dans l’aménagement urbain et dans la conception d’un système de mobilité intégré. Dans un deuxième temps la discussion s’orientera sur le rôle des campus universitaires et leurs relations avec les villes.

La direction internationale de l’IVM sera réunie à l’occasion de cette rencontre, ainsi que des représentants de la Chaire latino-américaine de l’Institut, et des experts venus du Mexique, du Costa Rica, de Colombie, du Chili, du Venezuela, du Pérou, d’Argentine, du Brésil et de l’Uruguay.

Le 8 juin se tiendra également un séminaire interne de la Chaire qui présentera les premiers résultats du projet de recherche-action « Les hyperlieux mobiles ».

Pour télécharger le programme cliquez-ici

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