Understanding autonomous vehicle adoption intentions in Malaysia through behavioral reasoning theory

Over the years, autonomous vehicles have gained significant attention from various stakeholders, with many predicting rising market shares in the upcoming years. However, in Malaysia, the adoption rate is expected to be slower, attributed to low consumer demand. Hence, this study aims to investigate the factors influencing the behavioral intention to adopt autonomous vehicles in Malaysia using Behavioral Reasoning Theory. The study includes belief and value factors, such as openness to change and environmental concerns, as significant predictors of consumers’ reasons and attitudes towards AVs, while also examining the moderating effect of price sensitivity. Using a purposive sampling approach, 323 questionnaire responses were collected from respondents throughout Malaysia and analyzed using the PLS-SEM approach. The findings reveal that consumers’ openness to change and environmental concerns play a significant role in positively influencing their reasons for and attitudes towards AVs, while only openness to change negatively influenced their reasons against AVs. Consumers’ reasons for AVs had the most significant effect on their attitudes towards AVs, compared to other antecedents, and jointly influenced behavioral intention to adopt AVs along with reasons for AVs. Surprisingly, the study did not confirm the moderating effect of price sensitivity on the attitude-behavioral intention relationship, contrasting with previous studies. This study provides local automotive manufacturers, marketers, and policymakers with valuable insights into autonomous vehicle adoption intentions by evaluating Malaysian consumers’ openness to change and environmental concerns.