Image: Ford fully autonomous Fusion Hybrid research vehicle on streets of Dearborn, MI (Ford Motor Company) 

In the matter of a few years, self-driving cars have gone from the stuff of science fiction to a very real goal for automakers. Volvo has promised a self-driving car by 2020, and Ford aims to have a fully autonomous commercial vehicle program in place by 2021. However, these advances aren’t coming without reservations—even on the part of the manufacturers themselves.

“The term autonomous vehicles is just thrown about so liberally in this industry. I mean, there are five levels of autonomy,” Ford CEO Mark Fields told Business Insider. "My only fear in the industry is somebody tries to come out with one of those [self-driving cars] before it’s ready and then there’s an event."

To alleviate these concerns, Ford is aiming to launch its first self-driving car with level four autonomy compared to the level three autonomous systems some other manufacturers are pursuing. The difference is that level three systems still require human input in certain situations while level four systems will be able to operate in a predetermined area without human intervention.

However, the concerns Fields raises are emblematic of the consumer confusion around autonomous driving. According to a 2016 Kelley Blue Book survey, six out of 10 survey respondents said they knew “little or nothing about driverless cars” and 62 percent said they didn’t believe they’d see a fully self-driving vehicle within their lifetimes.

This gap represents a significant opportunity for dealers to start meeting customers where they’re at with information about the specifics of their autonomous vehicle rollout and what drivers can expect in the years to come. Sharing this content through your Core Communication and social media outlets is not only a great way to get this information in front of current customers, but also to capture attention from online searchers outside of your database who are also looking for answers to these key questions.

Your dedicated Performance Manager will help you get the word out about technological advances in the automotive industry and within both current and future vehicles with custom articles from our in-house content team. Not yet a 3 Birds client? Get in touch with us to learn more about how our Core Communication can set your dealership apart from the crowd.