Consumers in China Less Enthusiastic for Autonomous Vehicles, J.D. Power and Tencent Auto Find

BEIJING, April 22, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumers in China are less enthusiastic than their counterparts in the United States about the prospect of an autonomous vehicle future, according to J.D. Power and Tencent Auto joint research will be presented on April 23 at the Tencent "X Era" Automobile Summit. Drawing on a Pulse survey of approximately 5,000 consumers in China, J.D. Power finds that just 9% are very positive on the prospect of unmanned mobility, roughly half the number of positive responses seen among U.S. consumers.

The research results, presented by J.D. Power vice president and general manager of Asia-Pacific automotive operations Geoff Broderick, illustrate the unique preferences of auto consumers in China. Among the key findings, significant differences between Chinese and U.S. consumers are found in the preferences for autonomous driving technology, fuel efficiency and overall feature cost.

Chen Juhong, Vice President of Tencent said consumers are demanding technology in their vehicles. This demand will foster the development of a number of new high-tech features that are in, or coming soon to the Chinese market.  These technologies are paving the way toward autonomous vehicles.

"China is the world's largest automotive market and traffic jams are a fact of daily life, but the number of motor vehicles per 1,000 people is still only a fraction of that in the United States and other developed markets," said Broderick. "Driving in China is still a novelty and serves as a kind of socio-economic status symbol of having arrived. As the market matures, consumers in China are rapidly becoming exceptionally discerning and are seeking value when considering technology and other features. This creates a unique set of preferences that are important for manufacturers to understand."

Following are the key findings in the J.D. Power presentation:

• Consumer Interest in Autonomous Vehicle Tech Lags: Just 9% of consumers in China are very interested in self-driving vehicles, compared with 18% in the United States.
• Energy Efficiency Less of a Priority: Unlike the U.S. market, where fuel efficiency consistently ranks among the top purchase reasons, consumers in China rate energy efficiency-related features near the bottom of their priority list. Three of the 10 least desired features among Chinese consumers are related to fuel efficiency.
• Feature Cost More Elastic in Chinese Market: Consumers in China are less likely to be influenced by cost when selecting vehicle features. The average cost of the top 10 features selected by Chinese consumers is $1,225 USD vs. just $775 USD in the U.S. market.
• Low Interest in Co-Ownership: While consumers in China are generally positive toward the concept of mobility on demand, just 4% of those surveyed say they are interested in the concept of co-ownership, suggesting that vehicle ownership continues to be a major priority for these consumers.
• Male vs. Female Preferences Differ: The top three technology features selected more frequently by men than women in China are drowsiness detection systems, pillar transparency technology and automatic lane keeping. Among women, the top features selected more often than by men are dash-mounted cameras, smart parking assist and remote control parking.

Data for the presentation was derived from the J.D. Power Pulse Survey, a rapid response-style consumer preference survey designed to quickly take the pulse of consumers on topical issues. The figures in this survey were based on 4,963 participants interviewed between March 23 and April 9, 2016, on the Tencent website and WeChat platforms.

Find more detailed information about the Tencent X-Era Automobile Summit, visit http://auto.qq.com 
Learn more about J.D. Power automotive studies at www.jdpower.com/cars/

Media Relations Contacts
John Tews (USA); Troy, Mich.; 248-680-6218; [email protected] 
Sunny Uberoi (Global), 917-747-2018; [email protected]

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About Tencent

Tencent uses technology to enrich the lives of Internet users. Every day, hundreds of millions of people communicate, share experiences, consume information and seek entertainment through our integrated platforms. Tencent's diversified services include QQ, Weixin/ WeChat for communications; Qzone for social networking; QQ Game Platform for online games; QQ.com and Tencent News for information; and Tencent Video for video content. Tencent was founded in Shenzhen in 1998 and went public on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2004. The company is one of the constituent stocks of the Hang Seng Index. Tencent seeks to evolve with the Internet by investing in innovation, providing a hospitable environment for partners and staying close to users.

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SOURCE J.D. Power

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