Quality attributes of robotic vehicles and their market potential

摘要

The development of robotic, self-driving vehicles is set to revolutionize the automotive industry. While automotive manufacturers, automotive suppliers, and IT firms are pushing the technical development of this new technology, there is a gap of knowledge in the literature on the customer perceptions of quality attributes of this new technology and on how these quality attributes influence purchase intentions positively or negatively. Therefore, this study aims to analyze what customers perceive as functional, economic, hedonic, and symbolic benefits and drawbacks of robotic vehicles and how these benefits and drawbacks influence customer intentions to purchase and recommend robotic vehicles. Based on cross-national customer data, this study identifies what drives customer intentions to purchase and recommend both fully autonomous and partially autonomous robotic vehicles for different legal scenarios. The results are relevant for managers, policy makers, and researchers interested in improving customer orientation in the development of autonomous driving technology.