Who will want to use shared autonomous vehicle service and how much? A consumer experiment in South Korea

Autonomous driving technologies are expected to affect shared mobility; therefore, the discussions on new business models using shared autonomous vehicles (SAVs) and their feasibilities are underway. This study analyzes consumer preference and willingness to pay for an SAV service, focusing on the automation level of the shared vehicle and liability for an accident, to investigate who will use the SAV service and how much. For this, we conducted a conjoint survey with 1,000 South Koreans and estimated the consumer utility function for an SAV service using a multiple discrete-continuous extreme value (MDCEV) model. The results show that consumer utility increases when the SAV automation level is higher and the liability for an accident lies with the SAV service provider. Moreover, we find that potential consumers have different preferences regarding the liability of a car accident according to their sociodemographic characteristics. We also analyze choice probability and usage of SAV services according to autonomous driving technology levels and who is held liable for an accident. The results show that people with a higher income prefer to use SAV service if service providers are responsible for an accident. Contrarily, older people, drivers, and people with a low income prefer to use SAV service if the accident's liability lies with the automobile manufacturer. We also find that SAV service usage increases when the level of autonomous driving technology is high or liability for an accident lies with the SAV service provider or automobile manufacturer.

Automated summary

This study analyzed consumer preference and willingness to pay for shared autonomous vehicle service, finding that consumers preferred higher automation levels with liability lying with the SAV service provider. Different demographic groups had varying preferences for accident liability, with higher income individuals showing a preference for service providers being responsible.