Do policy measures in fact promote electric mobility? A study across 20 countries

Abstract

In a 2015 study, policy measures to promote electric mobility were examined with regard to their acceptance by consumers in 20 countries on five continents. Results of a choice-based conjoint analysis showed that people appreciate monetary incentives; however, the application of the Kano method to detect dissatisfaction with missing features revealed that charging networks are absolute must-haves. In the same 20 countries, the present article examines the actual effects of three kinds of policy measures: monetary incentives, traffic regulations in favour of electric vehicles (EVs), and investments in charging infrastructure. The outcome variable was the percentage of new registered EVs in 2016. All policy measures had positive direct effects; however, the number of existing charging stations as a moderator increased the effect of monetary measures over proportionately. The widespread uptake of EVs has been challenged by the problem that people do not accept EVs as long as the number of charging stations is insufficient, and the low number of EVs has not stimulated sufficient demand for charging stations yet. The results demonstrate how this 'chicken or the egg' dilemma will be resolved over time as soon as a sufficient number of charging stations are available. Because the effects of monetary measures and charging stations reinforce each other and the number of charging stations is accumulative, governments will be able to offer fewer and fewer monetary incentives to produce the same promoting effects.