Modeling Cross-National Differences in Automated Vehicle Acceptance

Abstract

The technology that allows fully automated driving already exists and it may gradually enter the market over the forthcoming decades. Technology assimilation and automated vehicle acceptance in different countries is of high interest to many scholars, manufacturers, and policymakers worldwide. We model the mode choice between automated vehicles and conventional cars using a mixed multinomial logit heteroskedastic error component type model. Specifically, we capture preference heterogeneity assuming a continuous distribution across individuals. Different choice scenarios, based on respondents’ reported trip, were presented to respondents from six European countries: Cyprus, Hungary, Iceland, Montenegro, Slovenia, and the UK. We found that large reservations towards automated vehicles exist in all countries with 70% conventional private car choices, and 30% automated vehicles choices. We found that men, under the age of 60, with a high income who currently use private car, are more likely to be early adopters of automated vehicles. We found significant differences in automated vehicles acceptance in different countries. Individuals from Slovenia and Cyprus show higher automated vehicles acceptance while individuals from wealthier countries, UK, and Iceland, show more reservations towards them. Nontrading mode choice behaviors, value of travel time, and differences in model parameters among the different countries are discussed.

Who Is Willing to Share Their AV? Insights about Gender Differences among Seven Countries

“…Findings demonstrate a substantial difference in acceptance across countries, while people show large reservations about the use of AVs. Our paper advances the study of Etzioni et al [65], focusing on gender-based travel preferences using AVs across seven different countries and discuss potential cultural influences on AV vs SAV usage and the impact of cotravellers' gender on ride sharing acceptance.…”

“…Three travel alternatives options were offered to each respondent. This article extends the analysis of Etzioni et al [65], which focused on choices between a conventional car and an AV, by focusing on the willingness to share either a vehicle or a ride versus a PAV. The three-step method design is outlined here:…”

“…However, few results of discrete choice models about PAV and SAV acceptance across more than three countries in the literature can be found. Etzioni et al [65] is one of the very few similar studies, which modelled the public acceptance of AVs and regular cars across six countries in Europe, but without focusing on sharing aspects. The effects of travel time, travel cost, gender, age, income and current travel habits are quantified in a joint model using a logit kernel model with panel effects.…”

“…Since the survey design was based on the presentation of six choice scenarios to each respondent, these 24 scenarios were divided in four blocks, and each respondent was randomly assigned to a block by Limesurvey. Similarly to Etzioni et al [65], the six scenarios presented to each respondent used a national average travel cost value based on an approximately 10 km taxi journey from an international airport to the main city within the country they were living in. This innovative approach enabled this survey to offer a customised survey at a national level, while at the same time allowing a cross-country comparison of SP results across these seven countries.…”

The Effects of Multitasking and Tools Carried by Travelers Onboard on the Perceived Trip Time

“…Travelers plan their daily travel in a way to maximize their benefits. It is found that travelers are willing to pay money to reduce the time spent on traveling, thus maximizing their utility [9,29]. In the time allocation theory, travel time is considered as a consumption, which means an expense rather than the gaining of money, just like in the case of activity time [23].…”