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The chicken or the egg: Technology adoption and network infrastructure in the market for electric vehicles

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  • Nathan Delacrétaz
  • Bruno Lanz
  • Jeremy van Dijk

Abstract

We document non-linear stock effects in the relationship linking emerging technology adoption and network infrastructure increments. We exploit 2010-2017 data covering nascent to mature electric vehicle (EV) markets across 422 Norwegian municipalities together with two complementary identification strategies: control function regressions of EV sales on flexible polynomials in the stock of charging stations and charging points, and synthetic control methods to quantify the impact of initial infrastructure provision in municipalities that previously had none. Our results are consistent with indirect network effects and the behavioral bias called "range anxiety", and support policies targeting early infrastructure provision to incentivize EV adoption.

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  • Nathan Delacrétaz & Bruno Lanz & Jeremy van Dijk, 2020. "The chicken or the egg: Technology adoption and network infrastructure in the market for electric vehicles," IRENE Working Papers 20-08, IRENE Institute of Economic Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:irn:wpaper:20-08
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    Cited by:

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    2. Nicolas Koch & Nolan Ritter & Alexander Rohlf & Francesco Scarazzato, 2021. "When is the electric vehicle market self-sustaining? Evidence from Norway," Department of Economics Working Papers wuwp317, Vienna University of Economics and Business, Department of Economics.
    3. Patrick Bigler & Doina Maria Radulescu, 2022. "Environmental, Redistributive and Revenue Effects of Policies Promoting Fuel Efficient and Electric Vehicles," CESifo Working Paper Series 9645, CESifo.
    4. Koch, Nicolas & Ritter, Nolan & Rohlf, Alexander & Scarazzato, Francesco, 2022. "When is the electric vehicle market self-sustaining? Evidence from Norway," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Technology adoption; network externality; electric vehicles; charging infrastructure; two-sided markets; behavioral bias; range anxiety; environmental policy.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L14 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Transactional Relationships; Contracts and Reputation
    • D62 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Externalities
    • L91 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Transportation: General
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
    • Q48 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Government Policy
    • Q55 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Technological Innovation
    • Q58 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Government Policy

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