Evidence-Based Market Overview of Incentives and Disincentives in Electric Mobility as a Key to the Sustainable Future

Abstract

Electric mobility is one of the key technologies that may contribute to tackling externalities especially in the fight against climate change, and consequently in achieving sustainable transportation. Among the different electric vehicle (EV) technologies, battery electric vehicles (BEVs) constitute a strong option for future transportation. Despite the large investments made in the EV industry and the large-scale promotion of electric mobility through several policy measures in the last decade, this market segment is still underrepresented in the total automotive market. The available evidence indicates that there is a remarkable gap between the expectations and experiences in applying the measures. This study investigates the available measures that, directly or indirectly, may contribute to the future success of the BEVs. The authors categorize the available measures (financial incentives, non-financial incentives, disincentives) and highlight the possible cross-effects between them through a descriptive analysis. The main finding of this study is that, as there are synergies between the different measures, decision makers need a complex approach to excavate the market mechanism and implement effective and efficient policy measures.