Factors influencing the acceptance of flying cars among rural residents in China

Complex roads and inadequate infrastructure in rural areas impede residents’ daily travel. Fly-ing cars, which provide flexible mobility and automation, present a potential solution. Besides policies and infrastructure, the acceptance of flying cars in rural areas is also affected by resi-dents’ willingness to adopt them. This study introduces an extended UTAUT2 model that in-corporates trust and perceived risk, utilizing an anonymous online survey to gather data. Structural equation modeling (SEM) is employed to validate the model, alongside moderation analysis. The results indicate that trust is the key determinant of rural residents’ acceptance of flying cars. Furthermore, performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, hedon-ic motivation, and price value positively influence acceptance, while perceived risk has a neg-ative effect. Gender, age, education, and driving frequency (the number of driving days per week) serve as significant moderating variables. The findings provide theoretical and practical implications for promoting flying cars in rural areas.