Still on track for electrification? A qualitative comparative analysis of e-mobility policy mixes in 14 European cities

A major concern for policymakers in European cities is to identify the right policy mix that promotes the diffusion of battery electric vehicles (BEV's). Existing research focuses mainly on the effect of fiscal policies at the national, aggregated level. Consequently, less is known about policy mixes that include monetary and non-monetary policies implemented at both the national and local level. Building on prior research, we deploy a two-step fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) of BEV policies in 14 European cities to identify policy mixes that successfully promote the urban adoption of BEV's.

We find two policy mixes that promote BEV uptake. First, recurring monetary and non-monetary policies that address behavioral aspects of BEV-usage at the local level in conjunction with monetary incentives for home and workplace charging points as well as on-street residential charging points successfully propel BEV uptake. Second, the presence of monetary incentives for home and workplace charging points, as well as on-street residential charging points in conjunction with policies disincentivizing conventional car usage promote the adoption of BEV's.

Our study shows that BEV policies must be tailored carefully across different policy levels and individually to BEV-user contexts in cities. QCA provides a helpful tool for evaluating BEV policy mixes.