A Sociological Approach to the Autonomous Vehicle Industry. Parameters of Social Structure

At the end of 2021 in Romania 43% of the country’s total population held a driving license. Practically 1 in 2 people in the country drive a car. The car industry has historically been focused on marketing strategies and age group approaches so that the product, the car, would be attractive to the consumer market. Technological developments have been changing the parameters and strategies required in the automotive industry since the concept of autonomous cars was launched. Thus, the entire population of a country must be considered in the context of the customer approach for level 4 or 5 autonomous cars. The aim of the research lies in the theoretical foundation of the influence of socio-economic status on buyer behavior. Market research was conducted by applying an online questionnaire during January-March 2023. The results of the analysis of the 381 questionnaires show that having a driving license has a significant positive correlation with the interest in autonomous cars. In addition, education level plays a mediating role in the influence of holding a driver’s license and the inclination towards transport technology. This study provides implications for the literature and decision makers in automotive industry management.