Acceptance of Highly Automated Vehicles: The Role of Facilitating Condition, Technology Anxiety, Social Influence and Trust

Abstract

Highly automated vehicles (level 4) will be launched soon. This study explored factors affecting the acceptance of level 4 automated vehicles (AV) amongst the public. The technology acceptance model (TAM), technology anxiety (TA), social influence (SI), facilitating condition (FC) and trust (TR) were integrated to develop a level 4 AV acceptance model. A web-based questionnaire was used for data collection from 693 Chinese participants. Structural equation modelling was utilized to analyze the collected data. The results showed that TAM is applicable to explain level 4 AV acceptance amongst the public. The effects of FC on perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness (PU) are positive. TA negatively influences PU. SI positively influences PU and behavioural intention to use AVs. TR positively influences attitude towards using AVs and is positively determined by PU. Based on the results, some practical implications for increasing the use of level 4 AVs amongst the public were provided.

Keywords:

• Technology acceptance
• highly automated vehicles
• facilitating condition
• technology anxiety
• social influence
• trust

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant numbers 72071170 and 72301110), the Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation (grant number 2021A1515011610), the Guangzhou Municipal Science and Technology Bureau (grant number 2024A04J2279), and the Foundation of Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Committee (grant number JCYJ20210324100014040).

Notes on contributors

Siu Shing Man

Siu Shing Man received the B.Sc. degree in industrial engineering and engineering management and the PhD degree in human factors from the City University of Hong Kong, in 2015 and 2019, respectively. His research interests include occupational safety, driver behavior, and technology acceptance.

Mengqi Ding

Mengqi Ding is a postgraduate student at the School of Design, South China University of Technology. Her main research interests include human-computer interaction, design for the elderly, and virtual reality technology.

Xiaoyu Li

Xiaoyu Li is a M.S. student in the School of Design at South China University of Technology focusing on Virtual Reality and Ergonomics. She earned her BS degree in Civil Engineering from South China University of Technology in 2023.

Alan Hoi Shou Chan

Alan Hoi Shou Chan received the B.Sc. degree in industrial engineering, and the MPhil and PhD degrees in human factors studies from The University of Hong Kong, in 1982, 1986, and 1995, respectively. His research interests include work safety, work design, cognitive ergonomics, human factors, and compatibility.

Tingru Zhang

Tingru Zhang is an associate professor at the Institute of Human Factors and Ergonomics, Shenzhen University, China. She received her PhD from City University of Hong Kong in 2015. She mainly engaged in the research of driving safety behavior and human-computer interaction in autonomous driving.