Sharing or owning autonomous vehicles? Comprehending the role of ideology in the adoption of autonomous vehicles in the society of automobility

This article investigates the role of hegemonic ideology and the symbolic meaning of Autonomous Vehicle (AV) ownership in the society of automobility. Emerging mobility technologies, including connected shared platforms and automation, are disrupting urban transportation. There is a pervasive expectation that the utilisation of Shared Autonomous Vehicles (SAVs), by offering an efficient, flexible and affordable on-demand mobility, will eventually replace ubiquitous private car ownership. Researchers have mostly considered the transition of car ownership to SAVs based on positivist-empiricist approaches. The meaning of the car and its functions are not limited to the instrumental usage that facilitates mobility; instead, the car has other functions such as demonstrating the socio-economic status of its owner and symbolising his/her subjective identity, which is embedded in the dominant ideology and its symbolic structure. Automobility is a component of hegemonic ideology and its symbolic system that has shaped our car-dependent societies over the last century. The ideological and symbolic functions of car ownership have often been neglected when discussing AVs of the future. This research uses Reflexive Thematic Analysis (RTA) to analyse a mixed data set including 3 focus group interviews and 192 residents' responses to a questionnaire-based survey in Auckland. The results indicate that there was considerable heterogeneity in participants' preferences for using AVs, but relatively less heterogeneity in sharing mobility services. The research reveals that the provision of alternative smart shared mobility options does not subsequently reduce pervasive car ownership. The research concludes that the hegemonic ideology and its symbolic mechanism promote automobility that will significantly steer private car owners towards AV usage instead of the expected shared mobility. Therefore, in the context of the society of automobility, AVs should be considered as a technological transformation rather than a paradigm-shift towards shared mobility services.