User acceptance of driverless shuttles running in an open and mixed traffic environment

User acceptance is a vital requirement for the success of automated vehicles that has been extensively addressed in current research in various acceptance studies. These studies have contributed to our understanding of potential acceptance factors of automated vehicles. However, the main focus of these studies has been on conventional vehicles with steer and pedals that were tested in artificial and simulated environments with a focus on in-vehicle technology. Furthermore, these studies list and identify a number of potential acceptance factors, but without making a systematic use of validated models to systematically present previous research. The current research addresses these gaps in research by investigating user acceptance of driverless shuttles in public transport in an open and mixed traffic environment on real semi-public roads in Berlin-Schöneberg. Results indicate that the acceptance and use of these driverless vehicles in public transport is predominantly influenced by their perceived usefulness, ease of use and social influence.