What Drives Commuters to Pay for Autonomous Vehicles?

Abstract

Although commuters have been identified as potential early adopters of autonomous vehicles (AVs) that can boost the adoption rate of this technology, there is a lack of knowledge on their willingness to pay (WTP) for this technology and the attitude that influences this decision. Using data from a consumer survey conducted in the United States, this study presents a comprehensive analysis of the decision to pay for AVs among commuters. An integrated choice and latent variable (ICLV) model was applied in this study, considering its robust performance in modeling choice behavior for integrating users’ attitudes. The results showed that commuters with a favorable view toward multitasking tended to put a higher value on driverless cars. On the other hand, although a favorable view toward technology motivated commuters to pay more for AVs, data privacy and trust issues with the technology could outweigh this factor and discourage commuters from adopting and paying for AVs. This study also provides in-depth insights and comprehensive views on the impacts of commuters’ socioeconomic and demographic attributes on the decision to pay for AVs. Notably, although age and educational attainment did not directly affect WTP behavior, they played important roles in this decision, with significant effects mediated through latent attitudes. These in-depth analyses provide useful insights that can help develop customized marketing strategies for different market segments according to their specific and unique preferences and concerns.