Social acceptance of autonomous vehicles. A cross-country model validation

• A modified version of UTAUT2 theory is validated on acceptance of Autonomous Vehicles. • A structural equation model approach is used with survey data of six different countries. • Performance expectancy, trust and social influence are the strongest predictors. • The weakest predictors of behavioral intentions vary by country. • Findings offer guidance of targeted strategies for policymakers. Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are expected to offer significant benefits, including improved mobility, reduced energy consumption and emissions, shorter travel times or enhanced road safety. While field tests are being conducted in controlled environments worldwide, AVs still face major challenges related to technical aspects, regulations and public acceptance. This study examines public acceptance of AVs by proposing and validating a modified version of the extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2). The proposed model, incorporates additional constructs (trust, perceived risk, environmental awareness, green perceived usefulness and user innovativeness) while excludes others (facilitating conditions, price value and habit). The model was tested using a structural equation model approach to survey data from 2,221 participants across 6 different countries—Spain, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States and Australia—. The results confirm the cross-country validity of the model, and reveals that performance expectancy, trust and social influence are the strongest predictors of behavioral intentions in both the pooled and country-specific samples. However, the weakest predictors vary by country: environmental awareness showed the lowest impact on behavioral intentions in Spain, the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States, while in Mexico and Australia, the weakest predictors were perceived risk and effort expectancy, respectively. These findings offer valuable guidance for policymakers and industry stakeholders, emphasizing the need for targeted strategies to foster social acceptance of AVs more effectively.