How new vehicle technologies are going unused? Owners don’t intend to ever use them, says study

Modern-day technology is a leading reason why buyers choose one vehicle over another. Many new vehicles are equipped with some features that they want no part of. This ends up being costly to automakers and buyers alike.

As per a study by the JD Power 2021 US Tech Experience Index (TXI), for more than one in three advanced technologies, fewer than half of owners have used the technology in the first 90 days of ownership. Non-users most often say they don’t need these technologies. 

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For example, 61 per cent of owners say they have never used the in-vehicle digital market technology, and 51 percent of those saying they have no need for it. Owners feel similarly about the driver/passenger communication technology, with 52 per cent saying they have never used the technology, and 40 per cent of those saying they have no need for it.

“New-vehicle prices are at an all-time high, partly as a result of an increased level of content,” said Kristin Kolodge, executive director of the human-machine interface at JD Power. “This is fine if owners are getting value for their money, but some features seem like a waste to many owners.”

When technology is effectively executed in a vehicle, it positively influences an owner’s decision to purchase another vehicle equipped with that technology. The highest execution scores in the study are for camera rear-view mirror and ground view camera, both of which are ranked among the top three by owners wanting them on their next vehicle.

“JD Power has a wealth of transactional data showing that automakers suffer a hit to profits and sales velocity if they build the wrong mix of features on their vehicles,” Kolodge said. “The TXI research quantifies the benefits when there is alignment between what owners truly want and what the automakers produce.”

The study is based on responses from 110,827 owners of new 2021 model-year vehicles who were surveyed after 90 days of ownership. The study was fielded from February through July 2021.

It combines the level of adoption of new technologies for each brand with excellence in execution. The execution measurement examines how much owners like the technologies and how many problems they experience while using them.