To Share or To Own? Understanding the Willingness to Adopt Shared and Owned Automated Vehicles on Three Continents

Abstract

Automated vehicles (AVs) are expected to become integrated into mobility systems around the world within the coming years. The implementation and integration of AVs will have far-reaching societal, environmental and economic implications. However, the specifics of these implications are still unknown. Using survey data collected among residents in Greater Sydney, Australia; Greater Montréal, Canada and the Randstad, the Netherlands, this paper presents an investigation into individuals` willingness to adopt privately owned automated vehicles (PAVs) and shared automated vehicles (SAVs). The effects of personal characteristics and geographic features, as for example home region, are also identified. The results reveal that perceptions about safety, personal gains, societal gains, sharing and optimism about technology play a significant role in the likeliness to buy a PAV or use a SAV. For both PAV and SAV adoption, understanding potential personal gains and safety improvement increase the likeliness to buy a PAV or use a SAV. The results of the analysis also suggest that age has a significant effect on the likeliness to buy a PAV or use a SAV. Having a carsharing membership has a significant effect on the likeliness of using a SAV and the number of cars in the household has a significant effect on the likeliness of buying a PAV. Home region has a significant effect on the likeliness to use a SAV, but not on the likeliness to buy a PAV. Respondents living in the Randstad significantly differed from the respondents living in Sydney. A lower odds of using a SAV suggests people in the Randstad are less likely to use a SAV. The findings suggest there may be differences between regions so policy-makers should look at region-specific factors.