IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/transa/v203y2026ics0965856425003799.html

Mining public perceptions of shared autonomous vehicles in China: Interpreting the temporal evolution of sentiment through urban heterogeneity

Author

Listed:
  • Xie, Andy Angxi
  • Hou, Yuting

Abstract

The rapid deployment of shared autonomous vehicles (SAVs) in China raises pressing questions about public acceptance, yet systematic evidence on evolving public perceptions remains limited. Existing studies often focus on attitudinal surveys or single-platform analyses, overlooking the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of sentiment dynamics and their structural drivers. This study addresses these gaps by analyzing over 56,000 social media data from Sina Weibo, Xiaohongshu, and Douyin between 2022 and 2025.

Suggested Citation

  • Xie, Andy Angxi & Hou, Yuting, 2026. "Mining public perceptions of shared autonomous vehicles in China: Interpreting the temporal evolution of sentiment through urban heterogeneity," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 203(C).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:transa:v:203:y:2026:i:c:s0965856425003799
    DOI: 10.1016/j.tra.2025.104746
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965856425003799
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.tra.2025.104746?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Marsden, Greg & Docherty, Iain, 2013. "Insights on disruptions as opportunities for transport policy change," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 46-55.
    2. Marsal-Llacuna, Maria-Lluïsa & Colomer-Llinàs, Joan & Meléndez-Frigola, Joaquim, 2015. "Lessons in urban monitoring taken from sustainable and livable cities to better address the Smart Cities initiative," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 90(PB), pages 611-622.
    3. Heinrich Jacques Geldenhuys & Alan Colin Brent & Imke Hanlu De Kock, 2023. "SSUIT Smart Sustainable Urban Infrastructure Transitioning," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-25, September.
    4. Guo, Lirui & Burke, Michael G. & Griggs, Wynita M., 2025. "A new framework to predict and visualize technology acceptance: A case study of shared autonomous vehicles," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 212(C).
    5. Xing, Yingying & Li, Lun & Sheng, Xiaolu & Zhou, Huiyu & Han, Xiao, 2025. "Understanding public perceptions of autonomous vehicles: A structural model to urban-rural differences and psychological factors," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 165(C), pages 70-84.
    6. Dowling, Robyn & Kent, Jennifer, 2015. "Practice and public–private partnerships in sustainable transport governance: The case of car sharing in Sydney, Australia," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 58-64.
    7. Shengzhao Wang & Meitang Li & Bo Yu & Shan Bao & Yuren Chen, 2022. "Investigating the Impacting Factors on the Public’s Attitudes towards Autonomous Vehicles Using Sentiment Analysis from Social Media Data," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-17, September.
    8. Bansal, Prateek & Kockelman, Kara M., 2017. "Forecasting Americans’ long-term adoption of connected and autonomous vehicle technologies," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 49-63.
    9. Simone Pettigrew & Lin Fritschi & Richard Norman, 2018. "The Potential Implications of Autonomous Vehicles in and around the Workplace," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-10, August.
    10. Jianping Zhu & Futian Weng & Muni Zhuang & Xin Lu & Xu Tan & Songjie Lin & Ruoyi Zhang, 2022. "Revealing Public Opinion towards the COVID-19 Vaccine with Weibo Data in China: BertFDA-Based Model," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-26, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kent, Jennifer & Dowling, Robyn & Maalsen, Sophia, 2017. "Catalysts for transport transitions: Bridging the gap between disruptions and change," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 200-207.
    2. Huang, Han & Jiang, Yu & Wang, Zicheng & Ma, Wanqi, 2026. "Perceptions of driverless vehicles among social media influencers in China: A case analysis of Apollo Go," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    3. Docherty, Iain & Marsden, Greg & Anable, Jillian, 2018. "The governance of smart mobility," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 114-125.
    4. Li, Shunxi & Sui, Pang-Chieh & Xiao, Jinsheng & Chahine, Richard, 2019. "Policy formulation for highly automated vehicles: Emerging importance, research frontiers and insights," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 573-586.
    5. Bridgelall, Raj & Stubbing, Edward, 2021. "Forecasting the effects of autonomous vehicles on land use," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 163(C).
    6. Lindgren, Thomas & Pink, Sarah & Fors, Vaike, 2021. "Fore-sighting autonomous driving - An Ethnographic approach," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    7. Maria Vincenza Ciasullo & Orlando Troisi & Mara Grimaldi & Daniele Leone, 2020. "Multi-level governance for sustainable innovation in smart communities: an ecosystems approach," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 16(4), pages 1167-1195, December.
    8. Devon McAslan & Farah Najar Arevalo & David A. King & Thaddeus R. Miller, 2021. "Pilot project purgatory? Assessing automated vehicle pilot projects in U.S. cities," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 8(1), pages 1-16, December.
    9. Dubey, Subodh & Sharma, Ishant & Mishra, Sabyasachee & Cats, Oded & Bansal, Prateek, 2022. "A General Framework to Forecast the Adoption of Novel Products: A Case of Autonomous Vehicles," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 165(C), pages 63-95.
    10. Jiabin Liu & Ji Han, 2017. "Does a Certain Rule Exist in the Long-Term Change of a City’s Livability? Evidence from New York, Tokyo, and Shanghai," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-15, September.
    11. Wang, Xin & Sun, Wencai & Li, Shiwu & Fu, Minghao & Liu, Xinze & Ma, Huihui & Wang, Xinyue, 2026. "A comprehensive lane selection decision model in connected mixed traffic environment: Incorporating risk-coupled impact potential," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 681(C).
    12. Abdul Rais Abdul Latiff & Saidatulakmal Mohd, 2023. "Transport, Mobility and the Wellbeing of Older Adults: An Exploration of Private Chauffeuring and Companionship Services in Malaysia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-17, February.
    13. Terrien, Clara & Maniak, Rémi & Chen, Bo & Shaheen, Susan, 2016. "Good Practices for Advancing Urban Mobility Innovation: A Case Study of One-Way Carsharing," Institute of Transportation Studies, Research Reports, Working Papers, Proceedings qt53z3h2gt, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Berkeley.
    14. Somayeh Alipour & Abolfazl Meshkini, 2025. "Livable housing: representation of life in urban neighborhoods housing, Karaj Metropolis, Iran," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 27(7), pages 17095-17127, July.
    15. Lu Cheng & Zhifu Mi & D’Maris Coffman & Jing Meng & Dining Liu & Dongfeng Chang, 2022. "The Role of Bike Sharing in Promoting Transport Resilience," Networks and Spatial Economics, Springer, vol. 22(3), pages 567-585, September.
    16. Ma, Jiaxin & Chen, Xumei & Zhang, Xiaomei & Zhang, Yixin & Yu, Lei, 2024. "Exploring the willingness to pay for high-occupancy toll lanes under conditions of low familiarity," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 154(C), pages 142-156.
    17. Mao, Wei & Shepherd, Simon & Harrison, Gillian & Xu, Meng, 2024. "Autonomous vehicle market development in Beijing: A system dynamics approach," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    18. Xin-Wei Li & Hong-Zhi Miao, 2023. "How to Incorporate Autonomous Vehicles into the Carbon Neutrality Framework of China: Legal and Policy Perspectives," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-24, March.
    19. Ali M. Alqahtany, 2025. "Smart Cities as a Pathway to Sustainable Urbanism in the Arab World: A Case Analysis of Saudi Cities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(4), pages 1-16, February.
    20. Alatawneh, Anas & Torok, Adam, 2025. "Projecting AV sales in the EU-27 and UK: Insights from Euro emission standards and historical trends," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 163(C), pages 91-101.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:transa:v:203:y:2026:i:c:s0965856425003799. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/547/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.