Three major challenges in the shift to electric vehicles: Industrial organization, industrial policy, and a just transition

초록

This article aims to comprehensively review current research on the transformation within the automotive industry, with a specific focus on electrification, which has driven structural shifts. The exploration of three key dimensions forms the crux of this review: the technical aspects of the transition to electric vehicles (EVs) and the diverse perspectives on EVs as an innovative icon; the array of policy interventions linked to the transition and their distinctive features; and the intricate interplay of discourse and practices integral to the concept of a just transition. Examining these dimensions reveals a disparity between aspirational ideals and current realities in the transformative phase. While the shift to EVs revolutionizes automobile design, the mirroring hypothesis of a concomitant revolution in production and organizational paradigms lacks empirical support. The socio-ecological transition encounters conflicts between transformative advocates, arguing for robust interventionist policies to overhaul the prevailing social-technical automotive regime, and status quo upholders favoring an ecological modernization of the regime. Furthermore, the article underscores nuanced tensions in negotiating a just transition amid diverse stakeholder positions.

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