• Half of Germans have already heard of remote-controlled driving
• 7 out of 10 would like to see separate lanes, 8 out of 10 would like to see special labeling

Ordered via an app, a car with an empty driver’s seat will drive up and then take the passengers on board to their destination via remote control from the control center: 49 percent of Germans are already familiar with remote-controlled driving, while 47 percent have not yet heard of it. There is no driver in this type of mobility, and yet a human being is still in charge – but they are not in the vehicle, they control it remotely. Almost half of Germans can imagine riding in a remote-controlled vehicle like this (46 percent). This is the result of a representative survey conducted on behalf of the digital association Bitkom among 1,005 people aged 16 and over in Germany. “Remote-controlled driving systems offer great opportunities for innovative mobility services and can thus also strengthen Germany as a center of mobility,” says Bitkom’s managing director Dr. Bernhard Rohleder.

Seven out of ten respondents believe there should be special lanes for remotely controlled and autonomous vehicles (70 percent). Three quarters also think it makes sense for self-driving or remotely controlled vehicles to be recognizable as such from the outside (77 percent). “A visible marking of remotely controlled vehicles can help to reduce remaining reservations. And an analysis of their opportunities and risks in real-world operation will help to better understand their impact on traffic safety,” says Rohleder. While remote-controlled vehicles – including those from German providers – are already in commercial use in the US, their use in Germany is still limited to test operations. The Federal Ministry of Transport published a draft of a remote control regulation in 2024. However, it remains to be seen whether this will make remote-controlled vehicles a reality on German roads as well.

Note on methodology: The information is based on a representative telephone survey of 1,005 people aged 16 and over conducted by Bitkom Research on behalf of the digital association Bitkom. The survey took place between calendar weeks 30 and 33 of 2024. The questions were: “Have you already heard of remote-controlled or teleoperated driving, i.e. real vehicles in which the driver is not on board but controls the vehicle remotely?”, “Can you basically imagine riding in a remote-controlled vehicle?” and “To what extent do the following statements apply to you or in your opinion?”