Generation Y’s Information Needs Concerning Sharing Rides in Autonomous Mobility on Demand Systems

Abstract

Empirical studies show that autonomous vehicles can contribute to sustainability goals when rides are shared. However, sharing rides with strangers in shared autonomous mobility-on-demand systems (SAMODSs) might impede the adoption of these systems. The present study addresses the research question whether a comprehensive information provision about fellow passengers could increase acceptability of the shared rides in SAMODSs. A discrete choice experiment (N = 154) assessed the potential of different levels of information on fellow passengers: (1) no information, (2) name, (3) picture, (4) rating, (5) combination of name, picture and rating. The results show that the overall compensation demands for sharing a ride was a reduction of approximately 25% of the nonshared reference price. The provision of detailed information about fellow travelers proved beneficial for reducing the compensation demands of travelers while the provision of a name only resulted in higher compensation demands. A significant effect of the fellow passengers’ gender indicated that male gender information was related to a higher refusal rate than female gender information. This was particularly relevant when only names were presented. The study provides first empirical insights into the psychological factors concerning the emerging trend of shared mobility.