R&D investment strategies of robotaxi services: The role of cost variation and consumers’ trust

IF 6.2 2区工程技术 Q1 ECONOMICS

Transport Policy Pub Date : 2026-05-01 Epub Date: 2026-01-16 DOI:10.1016/j.tranpol.2026.104021

Ke Lu , Danping Wen , Heng Du

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Abstract

The promotion of robotaxi services can improve the efficiency and sustainability of urban transportation while requires substantial research and development (R&D) investment in relevant technologies. This study intends to investigate the strategies of R&D investment for robotaxi services by considering a supply chain that includes an automobile manufacturer, a robotaxi platform, and consumers. Two scenarios are considered, where either the automobile manufacturer or the robotaxi platform undertakes the investment. In addition, this study analyzes the effects of unit investment cost variations, consumer trust, and government subsidy. Further, this study extends the main models to incorporate the effects of market size variations, consumer-targeted subsidies, fleet size, and simultaneous investment. The results are presented as follows. (1) In both scenarios, the level of R&D investment is negatively affected by unit cost while positively impacted by government subsidy and consumers’ trust. (2) The analysis identifies two thresholds for the robotaxi platform’s unit R&D cost variation. If the cost variation is above the upper threshold, the automobile manufacturer will undertake R&D investment. Otherwise, if the cost variation is below the lower threshold, the robotaxi platform will undertake R&D investment. (3) Lower R&D investment unit cost, higher degree of government subsidy, and greater degree of consumers’ trust jointly promote the formation of equilibrium strategies. Overall, whether the automobile manufacturer or the robotaxi platform undertakes R&D investment is jointly affected by relative investment costs of both stakeholders, consumers’ trust, and government subsidy. Therefore, this study offers both theoretical and practical implications for R&D investment in robotaxi services.

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机器人出租车服务的研发投资策略：成本变化和消费者信任的作用

推广自动驾驶出租车服务可以提高城市交通的效率和可持续性，但需要在相关技术上进行大量的研发投资。本研究拟通过考虑包括汽车制造商、自动驾驶出租车平台和消费者在内的供应链来探讨自动驾驶出租车服务的研发投资策略。考虑两种情况，即汽车制造商或机器人出租车平台承担投资。此外，本研究还分析了单位投资成本变动、消费者信任和政府补贴的影响。此外，本研究扩展了主要模型，纳入了市场规模变化、消费者目标补贴、车队规模和同步投资的影响。结果如下：(1)在两种情景下，研发投入水平均受到单位成本的负向影响，而受到政府补贴和消费者信任的正向影响。(2)分析确定了机器人出租车平台单位研发成本变化的两个阈值。如果成本变化高于上限，汽车制造商将进行研发投资。否则，如果成本变化低于下阈值，则机器人出租车平台将进行研发投资。(3)较低的研发投入单位成本、较高的政府补贴程度和较高的消费者信任程度共同促进了均衡策略的形成。总体而言，汽车制造商还是自动驾驶出租车平台进行研发投资，受到利益相关者双方相对投资成本、消费者信任和政府补贴的共同影响。因此，本研究对机器人出租车服务的研发投资具有理论和实践意义。

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来源期刊

Transport Policy Multiple-

CiteScore

12.10

自引率

10.30%

发文量

282

期刊介绍： Transport Policy is an international journal aimed at bridging the gap between theory and practice in transport. Its subject areas reflect the concerns of policymakers in government, industry, voluntary organisations and the public at large, providing independent, original and rigorous analysis to understand how policy decisions have been taken, monitor their effects, and suggest how they may be improved. The journal treats the transport sector comprehensively, and in the context of other sectors including energy, housing, industry and planning. All modes are covered: land, sea and air; road and rail; public and private; motorised and non-motorised; passenger and freight.