Improving the understanding of electric vehicle technology and policy diffusion across countries

The transport sector is particularly difficult to decarbonize. Use of electric vehicles (EV)—a potentially transformative and sustainable technology—can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, domestic fossil fuel demand, energy import dependency, air pollution. Policies play an important role in the diffusion new technologies, such as EVs, principally their formative stage they compete with incumbent technology. However, great discrepancies exist across countries regarding EV support uptake. conceptualized outcome policy based on national characteristics international mechanisms. This study aims explain variation countries, by conducting event history analysis (EVs > 1% market share) between 2010 2017, using a sample 60 countries. It identifies mechanisms relevant novel technology's “formative phase”, focusing formation state goals, diffusion, local technology adoption deployment. empirical contribution lies identifying validating socioeconomic political factors influencing country's position curve. can help improve scenarios via better reflecting diffusion.