The car-based Internet of Things (IoT) is generating significant enthusiasm among US consumers, ahead of personal and home-based IoT, according to a survey by professional services firm Deloitte.

More than two thirds (68 per cent) of respondents expressed positive interest in connected, or autonomous, vehicles compared to personal IoT applications (59 per cent), such as fitness bands, or home-based IoT (53 per cent),  including connected domestic appliances.

And eight per cent of users would consider riding, or owning, an autonomous vehicle now, according to the survey. That figure rises to 20 per cent with users under the age of 44.

The main attractions of autonomous vehicles is that it eliminates the stress of driving, as well as not having to worry about finding/following directions or getting lost, says the survey. The ability to carry out other tasks while driving is another potential benefit, as is the possibility of having an alcoholic drink before driving home. Potentially, maintenance costs are lower than with traditional cars too.

On the downside, users did express some concerns about such vehicles. These included how conventional car drivers will react to them, as well as the reliability of the network connection. Losing the pleasure of actual driving is another barrier, as well as doubts about how easy it is to take over manual control of a connected car. Finally, users fret over whether the technology can prevent accidents.