Transformative impacts of shared autonomous vehicles for first-last-mile mobility: A cyber-physical experiment concept

The study introduced the cyber-physical experiment concept (CPEC) to comprehensively investigate and demonstrate new mobility services, specifically focusing on the impact of shared autonomous vehicles (SAVs) on the change of mode choice behavior. By synergistically combining cyber and physical experiments, the integrated experiment approach provided insights into user’s shifts to SAVs as a first-last-mile (FLM) mode choices in Hanoi. The study involved 1030 respondents in the cyber experiments and 346 respondents in the physical experiments with SAVs, respectively. Utilizing a panel mixed logit (PMXL) model and difference-in-differences (DID) analysis, the findings revealed that cyber and physical experiments significantly influenced behavior change following the introduction of SAVs, which were previously unavailable. Both the cyber and physical experiments improved overall preferences for SAVs. However, differences emerged between the groups: participants exposed only to cyber experiments showed higher travel mode transfer rates compared to those who participated in the physical experiments. From a policy perspective, this study advocates for an integrated system to address FLM challenges, particularly in the context of banning motorbikes in inner-city areas and positioning SAVs as viable alternatives. These findings underscore the theoretical contributions and practical implications of CPEC in integrating SAVs into public transportation systems to enhance FLM mobility.