Public acceptance of autonomous vehicles after firsthand riding experiences

Public acceptance of autonomous vehicles (AVs) often depends on media exposure rather than direct experience, leading to a significant perception-actuality gap. This field study investigates how actual AV experience influences user acceptance, comparing pre-exposure expectations with post-experience evaluations. Through a longitudinal field experiment involving 306 participants in Changsha, China, who experienced SAE Level 4 AVs (Baidu Apollo) on urban roads, we examined shifts in perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PeoU), trust, perceived risk (PR), behavioral intention (BI) and general acceptance (GA) using an extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Results indicate that the firsthand AV exposure significantly enhances BI and GA of adopting AVs, while significantly increasing PeoU and trust, while decreasing PR. After the experience, the extended TAM explained 79% of the variance in BI and 75% of the variance in GA. Notably, the strongest predictor, trust, mediated the effects of PeoU and PU. First-hand riding experiences significantly mitigate safety concerns when compared to acceptance levels based only on media exposure to AVs, greatly improving the consistency between PU, PeoU, TR, and acceptance. These experiences also significantly increase acceptance among non-drivers and women. These results imply that real-world AV riding experiences for groups of women without driver’s licenses should be a priority for automakers. This strategy will accelerate the adoption of AV by bridging the gap between media-perceived and real experiences.