Barriers to autonomous vehicles adoption in Europe: Insights from literature and interviews
www.sciencedirect.com
June 15, 2026, 8:52 a.m.
Autonomous driving in Europe faces a multifaceted array of challenges, but our review indicates that these challenges are well-understood and, with concerted effort, can be addressed. The implications of these findings are significant. In the short term, the persistence of regulatory uncertainty, technical limitations, and public scepticism means that fully self-driving vehicles will likely roll out slower in Europe than the most bullish predictions once suggested. Stakeholders must navigate a delicate balance between innovation and caution, since premature deployment could erode trust if incidents occur, whereas excessive delay could cause Europe to fall behind in a transformative industry. In the long term, overcoming these barriers is crucial because the potential benefits of AVs - from dramatically reduced traffic accidents and enhanced mobility for the elderly or disabled, to more efficient logistics and reduced congestion - are substantial. Failure to resolve the impediments could mean foregone benefits in safety and economic efficiency, not to mention Europe’s competitiveness in the global automotive arena.