This study investigates acceptance of shared autonomous shuttles (SASs) in a suburban area. A model where contextual variables were mediated through trust in SASs and technology optimism was tested. We examined intentions to use SASs without a steward and the significance of social distancing. Data were collected at the start and end of a 2020–2021 pilot involving 922 and 608 participants respectively, operating at SAE level 3. Findings indicate that trust and technological optimism significantly influence the willingness to use SASs, though contextual variables show minimal impact. Older adults and women displayed lower trust and optimism, reducing their usage intentions. These two groups also feel that it is more important to be able to keep social distance while riding SASs. The study suggests that future pilots should avoid negative impacts from using immature technology and address the social needs of specific groups.

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The primary aim of this study was to develop an accurate measure of acceptance for shared autonomous vehicles (SAVs) and to assess whether this measure can predict intentions to use SAVs. One leading model for explaining technology uptake is the UTAUT (Unified theory of acceptance and use of technology). This model is extensive and has received numerous suggested extensions and revisions, even being developed into a Multi-Level Model of Autonomous Vehicle Acceptance (MAVA). The challenge is to consolidate a model that effectively measures SAV acceptance and to determine which extensions capture the unique social situation within SAVs. The current study used survey data from 1902 respondents. The sample was split into two: one half underwent a principal component analysis (PCA) and the other half a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). We found that the 24 items we included were reducible to a single general acceptance factor (GAF), with three additional factors measuring interpersonal security, sociability, and attractivity. The GAF was, by a large margin, the most efficacious predictor of intention to use SAVs. The GAF could be further reduced to as little as two predictors, trust and usefulness, accounting for over 70 % of the variance in intention to use. However, there is also an argument to be made that the other components of SAV acceptance may capture different nuances of the service, particularly relating to the social situation. Interaction terms show differences between genders in their rating of sociability and how this impacts intentions to use SAVs. Our findings carry significant implications for future research in this field. They underscore the pivotal roles of trust and usefulness while corroborating the notion that SAV acceptance is best represented by a single latent component. However, further investigation is warranted to explore individual-level moderating effects on the other components, potentially offering novel insights for the design of future SAV services.

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Background Autonomous shuttles (AS) could grow to be more efficient, greener, safer and cost-efficient than current transport solutions. To harvest the full potential of future transport, we depend on their public adoption. The employment of shared, stewardless electric AS will create a novel social situation which there is a paucity of knowledge about. The main public transport provider in the Oslo-region, Ruter, seek to develop a mobility-as-a-service using small stewardless robot taxis for 6-8 passengers. Their shuttles are modified vans that might feel intimate. This novel social situation of being picked up at home by a stewardless AS, may impact the adoption of such services. Previous research has explored theoretical frameworks such as the Unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT), which recently was molded into the Multi-Level Model on Automated Vehicle Acceptance (MAVA). No research has yet investigated the role of the social situation for AS acceptance or tested the MAVA experimentally. The current study will explore how the social situation affects acceptance of AS using an experimental design. Experimental conditions are based on key constructs identified in the MAVA and the theory of Social Dominance Orientation (SDO). Possible moderating effects of personality traits are also studied. Method This study will build on previous research from pilots near Oslo that show ambivalent reactions to sharing AS with strangers. We will gather data using a large-scale experimental online survey to the general Norwegian public. Experimental elements could be presented by manipulating text, images or video. Likely manipulations are seat orientation, presence of a steward, number of passengers present, and safety measures such as emergency stop buttons. Results & Conclusions The study is ongoing, results will be available at the conference. Analyses will focus on exploring the role of the social situation in acceptance of AS. We will seek to experimentally test factors from the MAVA, and how this relates to other theoretical constructs that explore the social situation. The conclusions drawn from this study will impact the integration of autonomous transport systems in Norway and internationally. @en