Future technologies: Promotion of electric automobiles - how realistic is the support for individual technologies?

Ulrich Buller and Holger Hanselka, Fraunhofer Society, stress in their contribution that the entire spectrum of motorized vehicles must be taken into account in a future "art of mobility", ranging from electro-bicycles, electric-powered cars up to heavy commercial road vehicles. In this perspective, a double-digit market share for electric vehicles by the year 2020 is feasible, and for 2030 a 50% market penetration is regarded as realistic. From the viewpoint of CO2 reduction alone, electro-technology should not be underestimated. Ultimately, the focus must be on the customer, however, for whom attractive products in sufficient numbers must be available. Therefore, the primary goal is to reduce the costs for electric vehicles to a level at which market acceptance can be achieved. Ferdinand Dudenhöffer and Eva Maria John, EcoGlobe Institute at the University of Duisburg-Essen, consider it advisable for the state to support technology research in electro-mobility. Governmental promotion of electro-mobility can be seen as a national public good since the risks are too great for individual enterprises and the investments would otherwise not be made. At the same time, the industry in Germany would profit as a whole. This only holds up to the point of market introduction, however. Marketing is then a task of the firms and cash incentives for end users is not necessary. For Marion A. Weissenberger-Eibl, Fraunhofer Institute for System and Innovation Research, Karlsruhe, electro-mobility is an indispensable component of a future mobility concept. The goal is to analyse the driving forces and general conditions of electro-mobility and to integrate this into future scenarios such that strategic decisions can be made on the basis of comprehensive analyses. The promotion of electric road vehicles is an important component of future transport concepts.