If you thought British drivers were clamouring for self-driving wizardry and full-on robo-cars… think again.According to new research from eBay, what UK motorists really want are simple, stress-saving tech features – starting with good old-fashioned parking sensors.
The study, which looked at the habits and preferences of 2,000 drivers, found that parking sensors were voted the No 1bit of tech UK motorists can’t live without – beating flashier options like lane assist or automatic emergency braking.
Other must-haves included USB charging(29%) and Bluetooth (29%), proving that in-car convenience trumps complexity.In fact, almost a quarter of drivers admitted they don’t even know how to use the fancy ADAS features (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) in their car.Oops.
eBay’s research also shines a light on the age of Britain’s cars – with over 11 million vehicles on the road more than 12years old, a lot of people are still missing out on modern-day features. To prove just how easy it is to update an older motor, eBay kitted out a 2005 BMW330Ci with all the gear: Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, blind spot warnings, reversing cameras, dash cams – the works.
The full top 10 driver must-haves include:
Parking sensors (37%)
USB charging (29%)
Bluetooth connectivity (29%)
Reversing camera (27%)
Assisted steering (20%)
Heated seats (17%)
Apple CarPlay/Android Auto (14%)
Dashcam (13%)
Blind spot assist (11%)
Upgraded stereo (10%)
“The UK car parc is getting older, but that doesn’t mean drivers have to miss out,” says Abir Tewari, eBay’s UK director of commercial operations. “There’s a huge range of affordable, easy-to-install tech that can breathe new life into older cars.”
