Factors Influencing the Acceptance of Robo-Taxi Services in China: An Extended Technology Acceptance Model Analysis

Abstract

With the development of autonomous driving technologies, robo-taxis (shared autonomous vehicles) are being tested on real roads. In China, in particular, people in some cities such as Beijing and Shanghai can book a robo-taxi online and experience the service. To examine the influential factors on user acceptance of robo-taxi services, this study proposes and employs an extended technology acceptance model (TAM) with four external factors: perceived trust, government support, social influence, and perceived enjoyment. Data were collected through an online questionnaire in China, and responses from 403 respondents were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Both typical TAM factors—including perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and attitude—and external factors were found to play significant roles in predicting users’ intention to use robo-taxis. The four external factors influenced the user acceptance indirectly via typical TAM factors. Improving users’ perceived trust is important for increasing public adoption. A greater emphasis by manufacturers on safety concerns, wider dissemination of information on data protection and safety systems, and government support through incentives for manufacturers and users can help improve public adoption of robo-taxi services.

Customer’s Adoption Intentions toward Autonomous Delivery Vehicle Services: Extending DOI Theory with Social Awkwardness and Use Experience

“…Perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use are both important factors proven to afect user acceptance and intention [18,19,42]. Many researchers add other factors such as green image [18] and perceived trust [19,22] into the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) for further analytical refnement.…”

“…Perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use are both important factors proven to afect user acceptance and intention [18,19,42]. Many researchers add other factors such as green image [18] and perceived trust [19,22] into the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) for further analytical refnement. Using the Unifed Teory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), Adnan et al [27], Hewitt et al [28], and Meyer_Waaeden and Cloarec [29] all investigated the importance of performance expectancy, efort expectancy, trust, and social infuence in AV adoption.…”

“…Technology acceptance model (TAM) TAM is used to explain how perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use afect personal behaviors [18] AVs: Wu et al [18]; Liu et al [19]; Dirsehan and Can [20]; Chan and Lee [21]; Li et al [22] UAVs: Leon et al [23]; Michels et al [24]; Choe et al [25] Autonomous robots: Abrams et al [26] Unifed theory of acceptance and use of technology model (UTAUT) UTAUT was developed from TAM, TPB, and other models to explore user acceptance and includes four constructs (i.e., performance expectancy, efort expectancy, social infuence, and facilitating conditions) [21] AVs: Chan and Lee [21]; Adnan et al [27]; Hewitt et al [28];…”