Why do users trust Robotaxi? Analyzing user differences and adoption behavior from a socio-technical perspective

Abstract

The rapid development of autonomous driving technology has propelled the emergence of Robotaxi services as a transformative innovation in urban mobility. However, despite technological advances, research on the mechanisms driving user trust and adoption of Robotaxi services remains limited. This study constructs and validates a socio-technical dual-dimensional framework to systematically investigate how social factors (e.g., social influence, policies, and the bandwagon effect) and technological factors (e.g., reliability, assurance, and empathy) jointly influence user trust and adoption decisions. Using structural equation modeling, data were collected through offline surveys from 564 Robotaxi users in operational Robotaxi services in Wuhan, China. The results confirm that trust serves as a key mediator, linking external social and technological factors to user behavior and highlight the strong influence of the bandwagon effect, reliability, and assurance on trust formation. Multi-group analysis reveals significant differences in trust formation across demographics, with women being more sensitive to empathy, men prioritizing responsiveness, and high-income users relying more on regulatory assurance. The findings provide theoretical contributions by expanding the trust mechanism in autonomous mobility services and offer practical implications for Robotaxi operators and policymakers, emphasizing personalized service strategies, regulatory transparency, and targeted promotional efforts. By leveraging real operational data, this study enhances the external validity of trust research in autonomous driving, offering insights for future research on clean energy and shared mobility technologies.