The results of a survey commissioned by XPeng, published in June 2026, covering over 5,000 respondents across six European countries, showed that only 13% of European respondents would be willing to ride in an autonomous vehicle, compared to 70% of Chinese respondents. The survey also found that 53% of Europeans have “little or no trust” in AI driving, with 61% citing “loss of human control” as their primary concern; nevertheless, 82% of respondents claimed to understand AI technology. National attitudes varied significantly: 63% of Spanish respondents were open to autonomous driving, compared to just 34% in the UK.
Brian Gu, Vice Chairman of XPeng, stated that to build trust in AI-powered mobility in Europe, automakers need to make AI decision-making processes more transparent and explainable, while maintaining a sense of driver control as automation advances. The survey also noted that European consumers have a relatively high acceptance of semi-autonomous features like adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist, but still have significant psychological barriers to fully autonomous driving that eliminates human intervention. These results highlight the cognitive and trust gap regarding autonomous driving technology between the Chinese and European markets, and provide important insights for Chinese smart car brands accelerating their expansion into Europe.