Abstract
Many studies of the development, on-road compatibility, and market potential of personal mobility vehicles have been conducted in recent years. The focus has shifted toward understanding the social ac-ceptability of personal mobility vehicles by the general public, which is a key success factor in the future introduction and implementation of these vehicles. Using survey data collected from 124 respondents in the city of Toyota, where a social trial was conducted in 2010, this study empirically explores basic atti-tudes of the general public toward self-balancing two-wheeled vehicles and differences in acceptability before and after experience with the vehicle. An experimental group and a control group, each with 62 respondents, with and without vehicle experience, respectively were interviewed. Potential uses of these vehicles include tourism and excursions, short-distance trips in the downtown area, and moving around inside buildings. The survey results also indicate that usage intentions pertaining to access between des-tinations and train stations or bus stops and for business travel in urban areas are significantly reduced after vehicle experience. Causal relationships of acceptability-attitude-belief regarding self-balancing two-wheeled vehicles are assumed in this study. Beliefs are measured using a 5-point Likert scale, with responses ranging from very bad/unlikely to very good/likely reflecting respondents' thoughts about the vehicle. The empirical results indicate that belief scores increase after vehicle experience. Specifically, compared to the control group, the respondents in the experimental group believed that the vehicle was significantly more useful in buildings and more harmonious both inside buildings and on roads as well as rated the design and size of the vehicle higher. Causal relationships of the acceptability-attitude-belief of the vehicle are identified using structural equation modeling.
