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This article from Carlo Palmieri on the future of self-driving cars was written more than a few years ago, but does it forecast the near future?

The Internet of Things is a reality and it is going to permeate our daily lives even more in the near future.

From Smart Homes to Wearables and Connected Cars, the applications of Internet of Things are rapidly increasing in number. In this context  it is pivotal to understand what customers really think about it and what their attitudes are.

I have recently read an interesting article by Alex Mitchell, Head of Automotive Industry at the World Economic Forum titled ‘Are we ready for self-driving cars?’.

The article is based on an online survey of 5,550 city inhabitants conducted by the Boston Consulting Group (specifically Nikolaus Lang) that shows what consumers really think about self-driving cars.

The survey included 10 countries, namely Singapore, Germany, UK, France, USA, Netherlands, China, India, UAE and Japan.

According to the study, most cities expect the commercialization of self-driving cars in the next 10 years.

In the UK alone, Milton Keynes is starting trials of autonomous pod cars as part of project UK Autodrive in 2016 whilst London will initiate the project GATEway with pod cars in the Greenwich area next year.

Interestingly, Californian car manufacturer Tesla is also improving its prototypes of self-driving cars.

‘New mobility models such as car sharing, bike sharing, and smart parking not only help improve mobility today, but can also help answer critical questions about the future roll-out of self-driving vehicles in cities’.

Consumers seem to be ready for self-driving cars as they are starting to see key benefits such as not having to park and being able to do something else during their travel time.

The 10 key insights from the study include:

• Key reason is not having to park a self-driving car
• Key impediments to them are public acceptance and technological readiness
• Many are willing to pay more than $5K extra for a self-driving car

Read the full article, These Consumers Are Ready for Self-Driving Cars. And you?, on LinkedIn.