Beyond Safety: Barriers to Shared Autonomous Vehicle Utilization in the Post-Adoption Phase—Evidence from Norway

The usage rates of shared autonomous vehicles (SAVs) have become a pressing concern following their increased deployment. While prior research has focused on initial user acceptance, post-adoption behavior remains underexplored. As SAV deployment matures, public concerns have expanded beyond safety to encompass service requirements, challenging the relevance of earlier findings to current commercialization efforts. This study investigates the factors shaping SAV utilization through an empirical study in Norway, where autonomous buses have operated for several years. Through mixed methods, we first analyzed responses from 106 participants to 43 SAV users and 63 witnesses of SAV operations. The results revealed that concerns had shifted from technological anxiety to service-related factors. Through purposive interviews with individuals who showed acceptance of SAVs but did not adopt them as their primary mode of transportation, we explored the gap between high acceptance and low usage. Our findings provide insights into long-term SAV deployment and guidelines for improving usage rates, highlighting the importance of addressing service characteristics such as information transparency, vehicle appearance, speed, and convenience, rather than focusing solely on safety in commercial settings.