Exploring "automobility engagement”: A predictor of shared, automated, and electric mobility interest?

Automobility theory investigates the prevalence of the privately-owned car, including technology, infrastructure, and cultural elements. In an application of this theory, we quantitatively explore consumer engagement with aspects of automobility related to car ownership and use. We identify seven potential constructs of “automobility engagement” that might help explain consumer interest in shared, automated, and electric mobility. We develop 40 questionnaire items based on a literature review and analyze survey responses from a representative sample of 3,658 Canadian respondents. First, we conduct exploratory factor analysis and identify seven factors, such as “Car Identity” and “Societal Concern”. We then explore the role of these factors in consumer interest in ride-hailing, carsharing, fully automated vehicles, and electric vehicles through regression analyses. We find that “Societal Concern” predicts interest in all innovations but carsharing, while other factors are more specific. We conclude that quantifying automobility engagement can help to understand consumer interest in innovations.