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Future of Automotive Technologies

Insights for South Africa

The Deloitte Global Automotive Consumer Study is fielded using an online panel methodology where consumers are invited to complete the questionnaire via email through Deloitte's global panel partner. This study reveals the South African consumer findings related to advanced in-vehicle technology.

Key findings identified in the study

  • Consumer desirability for basic and advanced automation is higher for South African consumers than China, Mexico, South Korea, United Kingdom (UK), and Germany
  • Although the desirability has increased somewhat, the willingness to pay for advanced vehicle technologies has decreased since 2014
  • Desirability for full self-driving vehicles is higher with South African consumers than in the UK and Germany; and this has increased among younger generations, who were also willing to pay more for all in-vehicle technologies when compared with other generations
  • Almost 7 in 10 consumers consider travelling in self-driving cars to be a positive experience, and are willing to try them if they show an established safety record
  • Consumers in South Africa are divided on who they trust the most in bringing self-driving technology to market, with half of the consumers trusting a tech company  while the other half trust traditional car manufacturers to do the job
  • Majority of the consumers in South Africa seldom (never or rarely) use ride-sharing services, with only 2 in 10 using it at least once a week, mostly for personal use
  • More than 1 in 3 consumers who use ride-sharing services, question their need of owning a vehicle in future
  • 8 in 10 consumers fear hacking as the biggest threat to data sharing but would readily share their personal information with car manufactures if they get significant benefits
  • Real-world battery technology performance remains below consumer expectations with 55 % of consumers only willing to wait a maximum of an hour to fully charge a vehicle, although actual charging times are still much longer
  • 54% of consumers want a minimum distance of 400km or more from an electric vehicle on a single charge

SA Automotive Consumer Infographic

How can Deloitte help?

Based on these findings, the Deloitte Africa Automotive team is ready to discuss what this means for our clients in the industry as well as the continent at large providing strategic advice on technology, expansion as well as cyber security.

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