Driving forward together: The common intention of Indonesians in different residential areas to use autonomous vehicles

Despite the significant benefits of Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) for global transportation, Indonesia's diverse geographical landscape encounter unique adoption challenges due to infrastructural shortcomings and economic limitations. This study explores the adoption of AVs in Indonesia, considering its potential market and crucial role in AV and Electric Vehicle supply chains. Drawing upon the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), we assessed AV acceptance across Indonesia's Metropolitan Cities, frontier regions (“3T”), and the New National Capital City (IKN) areas. Using a cross-sectional study design, we distributed an online questionnaire, focusing on demographics, perceived safety, transport mode changes, and behavioral intention towards AVs, based on TAM and UTAUT factors. From 1,255 valid responses, we found significant influences of gender (t (1253) = 4.22), safety perceptions (F (2,1252) = 52.373), and transport mode frequency (F (4, 1250) = 6.662) on AVs adoption intentions. Both TAM and UTAUT models were moderately effective in explaining willingness to use AVs (R2 = 34% and 48%, respectively). TAM highlighted perceived usefulness (β = 0.421) and ease of use (β = 0.540), while UTAUT emphasized effort expectancy (β = 0.317) and social influence (β = 0.240). However, the findings from the multigroup analysis did not corroborate the role of residential areas in determining the intention to use AVs. These findings offer crucial insights for developing AV promotion strategies, creating user-friendly designs, and formulating supportive policies for AV adoption in diverse Indonesian regions.