A survey of car owners has found that 12% would “definitely” buy an Apple (AAPL) car if the Cupertino, Calif.-based consumer electronics giant were to make one.
Technalysis Research surveyed 1,000 U.S. consumers who own a car and plan to purchase another within two years about their interest in tech features and the rumored Apple car.
Among iPhone users in the survey, 17% said they would “definitely” buy an Apple car.
Apple has not confirmed that it’s building a car, but analysts and tech media point to Apple’s hiring of automotive engineers and seeking government permits for testing vehicles as proof. It is widely believed that Apple is exploring making an autonomous electric car that would compete with vehicles from the likes of Tesla Motors (TSLA).
In addition to those who say they would definitely purchase an Apple car sight unseen, there are even greater numbers of people who would consider buying one.
IBD’S TAKE: Shopping for a good auto stock? Try looking under the hood. Mobileye, which makes driver-assistance systems, is trading near a 50.28 buy point. Last month, Mobileye and auto parts maker Delphi joined forces to develop a turnkey self-driving system for automakers by 2019.
The Technalysis survey revealed that an additional 16% would give “serious consideration” to purchasing an Apple car and 24% would give “modest consideration” to buying one. That means 52% of survey respondents would either buy or consider buying an Apple car.
Among iPhone owners in the survey, 68% would either buy or consider buying an Apple car. That works out to 17% definitely buying, 23% serious consideration and 28% modest consideration.
Survey respondents also were asked about their interest in a hypothetical Google car. Google parent Alphabet (GOOGL) has been developing autonomous driving technology, but has shown no interest in making its own car.
Of those surveyed, 11% said they would definitely buy a Google car, while 20% would give serious consideration and 28% modest consideration to purchase. That works out to 59% either buying or considering the purchase of a Google car.
Technalysis President Bob O’Donnell said the strong interest by consumers in cars from tech companies Apple and Google was quite surprising.
“Given what a huge jump it is from smartphones and tablets to cars, I was very surprised to see the level of consideration that consumers said they would give to big tech brands like Google and Apple,” O’Donnell said in a statement. “It appears traditional car vendors really do need to be concerned about the potential impact that these companies could have on the automotive industry.”
When asked about autonomous vehicle technologies, respondents preferred more mature safety features such as blind-spot warning and smart front and rear cameras with emergency stop. They were less interested in autonomous highway driving and automatic car retrieval valet service. They expressed concerns about safety and high pricing with autonomous vehicles.
Apple stock fell a fraction in the stock market today but stayed above its 10-day line for a second straight day.
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