Understanding the antecedent factors of autonomous delivery vehicles usage intention: a moderating perspective of individual traits

Autonomous delivery vehicles (ADVs) are tested globally as an innovative ‘last-mile’ logistics solution. This study uses a value-based adoption model to explore how perceived cost, benefits, and value factors influence usage intention. It also incorporates cognitive style theory with measurement invariance of composite models and multigroup analysis to determine how subjective (cognitive styles) and objective (gender) traits moderate usage intention. A total of 398 valid samples were collected. Results reveal that: (1) Perceived benefits positively affect utilitarian and hedonic values, while perceived cost negatively influences them. (2) Utilitarian and hedonic values significantly shape usage intention. (3) An innovative cognitive style strengthens the link between utilitarian value and usage intention, whereas an adaptive style weakens the effect of hedonic value. (4) Gender differences exist regarding the effect of perceived autonomy on hedonic value, with cognitive style moderating usage intention among males but not females.