A socio-technical model of autonomous vehicle adoption using ranked choice stated preference data

Understanding the “if” and “when” of autonomous vehicle (AV) adoption is of clear interest to car manufacturers in their positioning of business processes, but also to transportation planners and traffic engineers. In this thesis, we examine the individual-level AV adoption and timing process, considering the psycho-social factors of driving control, mobility control, safety concerns, and tech-savviness. A ranked choice stated preference design is used to elicit responses from Austin area residents regarding AV adoption. Our results underscore the need to examine the adoption of technology through a psycho-social lens. In particular, technology developments and design should not be divorced from careful investigations of habits and consumption motivations of different groups of individuals in the population. The findings from our analysis are translated to specific policy actions to promote AV adoption and accelerate the adoption time frame.