Exploring Cultural Diversity in Mobility Behaviour and CCAM Acceptance

Abstract

The uptake of Connected, Cooperative, and Automated Mobility (CCAM) in Europe remains slow, primarily due to a lack of understanding of CCAM’s societal and business benefits. To address this research gap, the EU project Diversify-CCAM aims to tackle the lack of inclusivity in shared mobility systems, which hinders equitable access and adoption, especially for diverse societal groups. The goal of this paper is to explore the cultural factors within the framework of this project, identify the cultural categories that influence population diversification, and predict mobility behaviour and CCAM acceptance. This analysis is conducted with a focus on the unique cultural characteristics of different countries, using case studies from four cities: Frankfurt and Monheim in Germany, and Rhodes and Thessaloniki in Greece. These cultural categories are developed using several established theories and a prior state-of-the-art study, which included a literature review and stakeholder interviews conducted across twelve pilot sites. Unlike theoretical models, which provide a more general perspective on culture, the interviews allow for a more nuanced understanding of cultural aspects in relation to future mobility. The main cultural categories identified include CCAM acceptance, governance culture, values and norms, mobility culture, innovation culture, and social equity. The diversification characteristics of Germany and Greece were revealed through quantitative and qualitative analyses of the local stakeholder interviews. This paper contributes to the literature by offering valuable tools to assess cultural influences and their potential impact on the adoption of future mobility technologies across diverse contexts.