Transnational e-mobility study: Emergent strategies for an emergent technology

The new transnational study provides empirical evidence of policy options for governments which want to support the introduction of electric vehicles. In their study, the authors map the different policies by governments at different levels. They systematically gathered the interventions and strategic goals and actions of governments from different levels of government (federal, national, regional, local), describe them in as much detail as possible, categorizing them in a framework and noting the effects that emerge in practice. Three categories of insights are presented in the main report (+ accompanying background report):

- An overview of the policies that different governments follow in their attempts to support the introduction of e-mobility;

- Patterns and mechanisms in EV policy: relations between different strategic options and actions that are often used together, patterns in strategic actions, and basic principles that seem to underlie these different strategic options (e.g. proactive versus reactive; vehicle-centred versus infrastructure- centred; economic incentives versus regulation-centred);

- Performance of policies: over time, as more information about the actual results of strategic policy interventions come available, we will be able to link outcomes to policy-inputs; this may help to discern relations between structural elements and successful policy strategies; what works under what circumstances?

The rationale of the study is as follows: All over the world, countries, regions and cities are attempting to ignite and/or support the transition to e-mobility. Regardless of the continued efforts the introduction of electric driving is a complex and unpredictable process. It encompasses more than merely introducing a new type of vehicle or discovering the best charging technology; e-mobility requires a wide range of actors to do something different, something new, and – as many will perceive it – something strange. Electric driving requires thus a transition to a different system of mobility; a technology with new applications in vehicles and chargers as we know them, but also with far reaching changes in the underlying physical, economic and social infrastructure. E-mobility is all about cars, but not only about cars; e‐mobility requires an array of systemic changes in infrastructure, industry and networks. Because the transition to electric driving is both fundamentally complex and contested, it is not likely to occur all by itself; government action is one of the possibilities to support an early market in overcoming the problems and dilemmas of an emerging market.

Access the “Emergent strategies” summary + background reports in the information pool.