Fully automated vehicles: the use of travel time and its association with intention to use

Traditionally, time spent travelling has been seen as a ‘cost’ to the traveller. Autonomous or fully automated vehicles (FAVs) can free the driver of the driving task and allow engagement in other worthwhile activities inside the FAVs, which can transform how people travel. However, there is little understanding about how travel time can be used and how worthwhile this time can be in FAVs; and whether this is related to the intention to use FAVs. This paper addresses these questions through a multi-country questionnaire survey, with a sub-sample of chauffeur-driven car users to mimic time use in FAVs. Responses show that users are likely to engage in other non-driving activities while riding in FAVs, and these differ according to trip purpose and direction. Time spent travelling in FAVs is perceived to be more useful than in current modes of transport. Interest in using FAVs is directly correlated with perceived usefulness of time in autonomous vehicles. There is a strong correlation between intended activities in FAVs and current activities by primary car users in chauffeur-driven cars, providing some validation to the stated intention responses. Results have important implications for policy-making, time use and value-of-time research, as well as vehicle interior design.