Examining the adoption of autonomous vehicles in China, considering factors related to human behavior, automation, and the environment

Despite the growing popularity of autonomous vehicles (AVs), public acceptance of AV technologies remains uncertain. This study aims to explore how user demographics, human-related factors, and environmental factors influence people's decisions to adopt three distinct AV types: general AVs, shared AVs, and AVs with a human-shaped dummy driver. 765 valid responses were gathered via a questionnaire survey conducted in China. A random parameter univariate probit model with heterogeneity in means and a random parameter bivariate model with heterogeneity in means were employed. Findings suggest that gender, occupation, age, trust, self-efficacy, behavioral intentions, perceived safety risks as well as social and traditional media influences are the prominent factors affecting individuals' decision to adopt these AVs. Furthermore, this study reveals that significant factors vary depending on the type of AVs considered. These results are expected to offer insights for policymakers, promoters of AVs and transportation authority’s seeking to enhance public acceptance.