CAVs – Use, Share, Own? Young Driver Perceptions Of Connected And Automated Vehicles

Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAVs) will eventually change the transportation landscape. However, their success and adoption rate depend in part on public opinions of the technology and willingness to opt into the sharing economy. While CAVs have the potential to improve safety and increase access to mobility, the associated costs and timeline of development and deployment of fully automated vehicles are still uncertain. Understanding the public's opinion on the technology is key in understanding its effects on the future of transportation. This study aims to determine whether young people are willing to give up owning conventional personal vehicles in favor of CAVs and in particular, CAV-based shared mobility. With the potential for widespread CAV deployment in the near term, understanding the perspectives of this age group, which represents the largest age group in the US, is imperative for understanding the impacts of CAVs on the mobility landscape. An online survey was distributed through professional networks across the country in early 2020 to gauge comfort levels in riding in CAVs, relying on shared mobility, and owning a CAV. Univariate and bivariate Chi-Squared tests were then performed to test the correlation between explanatory variables and perceptions of CAVs. The responses revealed ambivalence toward CAVs. Significant relationships indicate that gender identity and urbanicity matter when it comes to willingness to use CAVs and shared mobility. Results also show that young adults may not be as ready for CAVs as some have hypothesized. The results of this study help address gaps in CAV perception research and gauges current attitudes of young adults towards a future of transportation that includes connected and automated vehicles.