How policies and actor strategies affect electric vehicle diffusion and wider sustainability transitions

Abstract

Implementing electromobility is a central component in the de-carbonization of personal mobility. In recent years, the absolute number of electric vehicles (EVs) and their market share has increased sharply in many countries. This paper focuses on Norway, a pioneer market for EVs that other countries can learn from. The analysis highlights how a combination of local and national policies over a 30-y period, which targeted both industry development and vehicle demand, were important drivers of this development. It also highlights the importance of advocacy groups and strong networks in promoting EVs, as well as changes in user preferences. The paper demonstrates how the EV diffusion has been driven by alignments of multiple processes across different levels, involving interactions between multiple actors and social groups with different interests and views about desirable futures as described by the multi-level perspective (MLP). Building on the MLP, the study of EV diffusion in Norway illustrates how niches are often sustained through demonstrations, experimentation, strategic alliances, and actors securing favorable political and economic conditions. Further, it shows how local or national niches may depend on international regime actors, such as the car manufacturing industry and policies developed abroad. The paper also explores how the introduction of EVs has opened for wider effects, including innovation within production-consumption systems beyond mobility. Based on this analysis, we argue for a nuanced perspective on the relationship between incremental, regime-internal innovation, and wider transformative changes, where the merits of societal learning and experience with battery electricity for transportation are highlighted.