Norwegians’ preferences for automated vehicles

Abstract

The present study predicts Norwegians’ preferences for automated vehicles (AVs). We contribute to the state of the art of AV studies by identifying the relative importance of different predictors including demographic, socioeconomic, travel attributes, and psychological factors (i.e., the technology acceptance model (TAM), the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), personal innovativeness, and risk perception) in a Nordic country. A stratified random sample of Norwegians (n = 1000) was used as data in an artificial neural network. The findings show that (1) most people prefer partially AVs followed by high level AVs and conventional vehicles, (2) psychological factors have a greater influence on AV preferences compared to demographic, socioeconomic, and travel attributes, and (3) the five most important predictors of AV preferences are perceived ease of use of high level AVs (importance (i) = 100 %), subjective norm (i = 63.1 %), innovativeness (i = 59.9 %), attitudes towards high level AVs (i = 45.5 %), and perceived usefulness (i = 39.2 %). Policies and AV promotion could be based on components in the TAM and the TPB. Norwegians’ personal beliefs and social norms regarding usefulness, efficiency, and ease of driving with high level AVs can to a large extent positively influence their preferences to use AVs with a high level of automatisation. Norwegians seem to be ready for a transition to high level AVs regardless of their age, gender, education, or income. This latter finding implies that AV promotion in Norway can rely on broad nudging strategies aimed at all licensed drivers, rather than targeting specific demographics.