title: Consumer Preference for and Acceptance of Autonomous Vehicles and Related Services
Creators: name: Liang, Ya
Publisher: name: University of Liverpool Repository
Year: 2029

description: Autonomous vehicles (AVs), symbolising the pinnacle of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, employ advanced AI for environmental sensing, decision-making, and navigation, thus facilitating self-driving capabilities with minimal human input. AV technology finds its applications predominantly in passenger transportation and freight logistics. The widespread adoption of AVs promises substantial societal and environmental advantages, including improved traffic flow, enhanced road safety, lower energy consumption, and increased mobility for certain population segments. However, the successful implementation of AVs is contingent upon public acceptance, an area that remains inadequately explored. A thorough literature review reveals three main research gaps in AV acceptance: (1) the influence of risk preferences on consumer attitudes towards AVs remains unclear; (2) there is a pressing need for in-depth research on the factors driving acceptance of AV-based delivery services; and (3) comprehensively understanding consumer preferences among different delivery alternatives and identifying potential substitution effects is essential. This thesis presents three empirical studies conducted in China from 2021 to 2023, using two rounds of stated preference (SP) experiments and surveys with a nationally representative sample of Chinese households, to address the mentioned gaps. Study 1 (Chapter 2) delves into how individual risk preferences affect choices for privately owned or shared AVs. Studies 2 and 3 (Chapters 3 &amp; 4) examine the consumer acceptance of AV-powered autonomous delivery service (ADS) in last-mile logistics. More specifically, Study 2 explores the relationship between TR traits—innovativeness, optimism, discomfort, and insecurity—and consumer acceptance of ADS, analysing the reasoning process and its impact on acceptance intentions. Study 3, through discrete choice modelling, assesses how service-related attributes and contextual factors influence preferences for these novel delivery services.

The thesis highlights how financial, service, and policy factors, along with risk preferences, shape consumer preferences for AVs in passenger use. It also addresses how service-related attributes and contextual factors affect preferences for AV-driven ADS, unveiling the mechanisms behind ADS acceptance. Key findings include: (1) risk-tolerant consumers are more inclined to opt for AVs, displaying more sensitivity to losses than gains in reference-dependent preferences; (2) TR traits significantly influence the consumer reasoning process for ADS acceptance; and (3) consumers prefer delivery services that are cost-effective, timely, and secure. This thesis enhances the literature by detailing risk preferences in AV acceptance and consumer behaviour for AV-driven ADS, offering early empirical insights into how TR traits influence AV service acceptance. It advances understanding of AI adoption psychology and informs public policy and business strategies, advocating for collaborative efforts and clear communications in promoting AV usage.