Unpacking the public acceptance of autonomous electric buses: Insights from a medium-sized Brazilian city

Gilberto Ganga, Roberta Avanzi, Guilherme Ramos, Mario Callefi (), Moacir Godinho Filho, Fabiane Lizarelli and Glauco de Souza Mendes
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Gilberto Ganga: UFSCar - Federal University of São Carlos
Roberta Avanzi: UFSCar - Federal University of São Carlos
Guilherme Ramos: UFSCar - Federal University of São Carlos
Mario Callefi: Chemnitz University of Technology / Technische Universität Chemnitz
Moacir Godinho Filho: Métis Lab EM Normandie - EM Normandie - École de Management de Normandie = EM Normandie Business School
Fabiane Lizarelli: UFSCar - Federal University of São Carlos
Glauco de Souza Mendes: UFSCar - Federal University of São Carlos

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Abstract: Electric autonomous vehicles, including Autonomous Electric Buses (AEBs), offer significant societal benefits such as fewer accidents, reduced pollution, and enhanced driving efficiency, presenting a promising alternative to public transportation. While research on this subject exists in developed countries like Europe, China, and Germany, there remains a significant gap in our understanding of the acceptance of AEBs in emerging economies. Our study investigated the adoption factors of AEBs in a medium-sized Brazilian city by surveying 554 respondents. In our structural model, we adopted a hybrid approach that integrates elements from the modified Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), and Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). The study's findings indicate that a positive attitude, perceived usefulness, initial trust, and subjective norm significantly influence Brazilian consumers' intention to use AEBs. The theoretical implications of this study involve the creation of a model that intricately merges elements from multiple existing frameworks (TAM, TPB, and UTAUT). This proposed model synthesizes key factors influencing the acceptance of AEBs in emerging economies, providing a foundation for developing effective public policies for urban logistics automation.

Keywords: Autonomous electric buses; Technology acceptance; Autonomous public transport; Emerging economy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025-05
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-04992013v1
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Published in Cities, 2025, 160, pp.105817. ⟨10.1016/j.cities.2025.105817⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04992013

DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2025.105817

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