Most Americans Believe Driverless Cars Are Coming—for Everyone Else

Bruce Gil· Apr 28, 2026 · 8:30 PM UTC ·2 min read · 0 reactions · 0 comments · 38 views

TL;DR · WeSearch summary

A recent Gallup poll indicates that many Americans believe driverless cars will soon be common, with 31% expecting widespread use within five years. However, only 19% expressed interest in owning or leasing a self-driving car over the next two decades. The survey highlights demographic differences in attitudes towards autonomous vehicles, with higher-income and more educated individuals showing greater openness to the technology.

Key facts

▪31% of Americans believe driverless cars will be commonly used in the U.S. within the next five years, up from 19% in 2018.
▪Only 19% of respondents said they would be likely to own or lease a self-driving car in the next 20 years.
▪Demographic trends show that higher-income and more educated Americans are more open to owning autonomous vehicles.

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Gizmodo files mainly under tech. We currently carry 672 of its stories.

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Gizmodo · Bruce Gil

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Original publisher	Gizmodo
Canonical URL	https://gizmodo.com/most-americans-believe-driverless-cars-are-coming-for-everyone-else-2000751834
Publication time	Tue, 28 Apr 2026 20:30:49 +0000
Retrieval time	2026-04-28T20:34:39.782Z
Last seen	2026-04-28T20:34:39.782Z
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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand

As robotaxi services expand into more cities and automakers continue adding driver-assistance features to consumer vehicles, more Americans than ever believe fully autonomous cars are on the way. But that doesn’t mean they actually want to own one.cnx.cmd.push(function(){cnx({"playerId":"92b7b46b-43ed-4e0e-b21b-2c999302d9d7","settings":{"advertising":{"macros":{"AD_UNIT":"/23178111854/od.gizmodo.com/article","CHILD_UNIT":"article","POST_ID":"2000751834","POST_TYPE":"post","CHANNEL":"tech","SECTION":"transportation","SUBSECTION":"","CATEGORIES":"transportation","TAGS":"autonomous-cars,robotaxis,surveys","NOP":"0"},"timeBeforeFirstAd":0}}}).render("cnx-player-main")}); Gallup published the results of a poll on Tuesday examining Americans’ views on autonomous vehicles.

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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Gizmodo.

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