National policy-making and the promotion of electric vehicles

This paper considers factors underpinning technology forcing by national policy makers in the low carbon vehicle sector. It focuses on five countries - France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK - and examines the driving imperatives for promoting alternative fuel vehicle and, in particular, electric vehicle uptake. It does so by looking at four overarching concerns for decision makers; energy security, sustainable development, impact on the existing automotive sector and the pressure from sub-national actors. The paper seeks to show that national policy in the five selected countries is heterogeneous in nature making consistent, standardised approaches to policy implementation a challenge, despite the similarity in ambition to advance instances of electromobility and to transition from conventional transport technology to alternative fuel vehicles.