Automobility theory investigates the prevalence of the privately-owned car, including technology, infrastructure, and cultural elements. In an application of this theory, we quantitatively explore consumer engagement with aspects of automobility related to car ownership and use. We identify seven potential constructs of “automobility engagement” that might help explain consumer interest in shared, automated, and electric mobility. We develop 40 questionnaire items based on a literature review and analyze survey responses from a representative sample of 3,658 Canadian respondents. First, we conduct exploratory factor analysis and identify seven factors, such as “Car Identity” and “Societal Concern”. We then explore the role of these factors in consumer interest in ride-hailing, carsharing, fully automated vehicles, and electric vehicles through regression analyses. We find that “Societal Concern” predicts interest in all innovations but carsharing, while other factors are more specific. We conclude that quantifying automobility engagement can help to understand consumer interest in innovations.

汽车理论研究了私家车的流行程度，包括技术、基础设施和文化元素。在该理论的应用中，我们定量地探索消费者对与汽车拥有和使用相关的汽车方面的参与。我们确定了“汽车参与”的七种潜在结构，这可能有助于解释消费者对共享、自动化和电动汽车的兴趣。我们根据文献回顾开发了 40 个问卷项目，并分析了来自 3,658 名加拿大受访者的代表性样本的调查回复。首先，我们进行探索性因素分析，确定了“汽车身份”和“社会关注度”等七个因素。然后，我们探讨了这些因素在消费者对网约车、汽车共享、全自动汽车、和电动汽车通过回归分析。我们发现“社会关注”预测对除汽车共享之外的所有创新的兴趣，而其他因素则更为具体。我们得出结论，量化汽车参与度有助于了解消费者对创新的兴趣。