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Home C-TIER News Dr. Ishant Sharma Ph.D. dissertation

Dr. Ishant Sharma's Dissertation

Ishant SharmaConsumers' Adoption of Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs) Based on Their Social Network

The recent advancements in communication, digital, and automobile technologies have the potential to revolutionize the transport sector, especially the way we travel. Such advancements include the advent of mobility-on-demand services, electric and connected, and autonomous vehicles (CAVs). Recent research indicates their imminent market penetration, but their widespread consumer adoption is still uncertain because of several anticipated barriers like giving up conventional vehicles, safety concerns, accident liability problems, cybersecurity issues, and many more. A potential consumer’s decision to purchase a vehicle is greatly influenced from information received from multiple sources, especially peer-to-peer communication. To the best of our knowledge, limited studies exist in capturing the impact of peer-to-peer communication on the adoption of CAVs. This dissertation attempts to capture the impact of peer-to-communication in the consumers’ social network on their likelihood of adopting CAVs. 

The dissertation includes four scientific contributions: (i) capturing consumers' likelihood to own  CAVs based on their social values, (ii) quantifying consumers' ranking preference towards multiple CAV-based travel modalities based on information received from their peers and advertisements, (iii) developing a novel framework to forecast the adoption of privately owned CAVs through the integration of consumer behavior model in agent-based simulation and (iv) quantifying the impact of multiple information sources on the consumers' decision to purchase a CAV based on their concern towards barriers of CAVs. For analysis, the dissertation utilizes advanced discrete choice modeling (integrated choice and latent variable (ICLV) model as well as latent class analysis) and three survey datasets in Tennessee, including samples of employees of the University of Memphis (2,449) and the general population of Nashville (1,495), and entire state of Tennessee (4,448). 

The results showed a positive influence of CAV adoption on consumers' social image. Furthermore, consumers prefer CAV-related information received from their peers over media and are more likely to ride in shared-mobility-based CAVs than other CAV-based travel modalities. The results of consumer behavior model indicate that the adoption of privately owned CAVs increases with a decrease in their purchase price and an increase in community level adoption. These findings will assist policymakers and automakers in boosting the market penetration of CAVs

 

Published peer-reviewed journal articles

  1. Sharma, I., and Mishra, S. (2021). Ranking preferences towards adopting autonomous vehicles based on peer inputs and advertisements. Transportation. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11116-022-10304-w 

  2. Sharma, I., and Mishra, S. (2020). Quantifying the Consumer’s Dependence on Different Information Sources on Acceptance of Autonomous Vehicles. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Vol. 160, p. 179-203. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2022.04.009 

  3. Sharma, I., and Mishra, S. (2020). Modeling Consumers' Likelihood to Adopt Autonomous Vehicles Based on Their Peer Network. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, Vol. 87, p. 102509. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2020.102509 . 

  4. Sharma, I., Mishra, S., Golias, M., Welch, T. F., and Cherry, C. R. (2020). Equity of Transit Connectivity in Tennessee Cities. Journal of Transport Geography, Vol. 86, p. 102750. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2020.102750.  

Peer-reviewed conference papers

  1. Sharma, I., and Mishra, S. (2022). Quantifying the Consumer’s Dependence on Different Information Sources on Acceptance of Autonomous Vehicles. Compendium of Papers in 101st Annual Board Meeting of Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, Washington D.C 

  2. Sharma, I., Pani, A. and Mishra, S. (2022). Mobility Inequalities in Food Desert Communities and the Acceptance for Autonomous Delivery: What Does Automation Mean for the Marginalized? Compendium of Papers in 101st Annual Board Meeting of Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, Washington D.C 

  3. Sharma, I., S. Mishra, and M. M. Golias. (2021). Quantifying the Adoption of Highly Automated Technologies by Rural Population: A Case Study of Tennessee. Compendium of Papers in 100th Annual Board Meeting of Transportation Research Board, National Research Council (Virtual Event) 

  4. Sharma, I., and S. Mishra. (2020). Measuring Consumers' Willingness to Pay Towards Adoption of Connected and Autonomous Vehicles Based on Their Social Network. Compendium of Papers in 99th Annual Board Meeting of Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, Washington D.C 

  5. Sharma, I., S. Mishra, and M. M. Golias. (2020). Prioritization of Autonomous Public Transit Buses on Urban Roads. Compendium of Papers in 99th Annual Board Meeting of Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, Washington D.C