Designing Automated Vehicle Interiors for Different Cultures: Evidence From China, Germany, and the United States

The advent of automated driving is a global trend. It is likely that views on what will make an automated vehicle trustworthy, comfortable, usable, and enhance passengers’ well-being while driving will differ between markets. Therefore, we conducted an expert survey (n = 28) to identify cultural-specific design requirements of Level 4 automated vehicles for China, Germany, and the United States. Our results indicate a tendency toward hedonic vehicle design in China and pragmatic design in Germany. United States lies between these two markets. The results imply that car manufacturers can influence passengers’ well-being through vehicle design and, in turn, increase acceptance of automated vehicles.