Role of policy and consumer attitudes in people’s intention to use autonomous vehicles: a comparative study in China and the USA

The transition to autonomous vehicles (AVs) will likely vary across countries due to differences in technology advancements, infrastructure, cultural background, and policy. Managing this transition can be challenging, as similar policies may elicit different responses from relevant stakeholders, leading to either societal benefits from the technology or unintended consequences. This study explores the similarities and differences in the impacts of sociodemographic factors, attitudinal factors, and policy-related factors on AV adoption in two countries that are expected to be one of the early adopters: China and the United States. A theoretical framework was developed to examine these impacts, and Multiple Indicators and Multiple Causes models were estimated using 2000 valid survey responses from each country. The model estimation results reveal that certain sociodemographic factors, such as education and income levels, similarly influence AV adoption intentions in both countries. However, other characteristics, like gender and the number of household vehicles, exhibit contrasting effects. Furthermore, attitudinal factors like attitude towards AVs, perceived usefulness, and perceived monetary value significantly impact AV adoption intentions among Chinese respondents, whereas perceived usefulness, perceived nonmonetary value, and subjective norms play a more prominent role in shaping AV adoption intentions among American respondents. In terms of policy impacts, individuals already inclined towards using AVs are more likely to strengthen their intention under all policies, with a more pronounced effect in China, where cultural and economic factors, along with stronger government support for technology, play a significant role.