74
7.1
IntroductIon
Conventional forms of automobility, with their dependence on privatelyowned, petroleum-powered vehicles used primarily by single occupants,
are a significant source of major social ills including traffic jams and accidents, climate change, air pollution, and negative impacts on land use
(Urry 2004). For example, the World Health Organization (2018a) estimates that every year 1.25 million people are killed and 20–50 million
injured in traffic road crashes involving cars or motorcycles; globally, road
traffic injuries are also the leading cause of death for those between the age
of 15 and 29 years. In the realm of climate change, the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) notes that the transport sector produces
about 7 billion tonnes of direct greenhouse gas emissions each year, making it responsible for almost one-quarter (23%) of total energy-related
carbon dioxide equivalent emissions (Sims et al. 2014). With regard to
ambient air pollution, emissions of particulate matter and other hazardous
pollutants from road traffic contribute to hundreds of thousands of premature deaths each year (World Health Organization 2018b). Even in
Europe, some 40 million people across 115 of the largest cities in the
European Union are exposed to air exceeding health guidelines (for at
least one pollutant); in particular, children who reside close to roads with
heavy-duty vehicle traffic have twice the risk of respiratory problems as
those living near less congested streets (World Health Organization 2018b).
The race for more sustainable forms of passenger mobility has, therefore, commenced, with innumerable policymakers and other stakeholders
exploring electric mobility and electric vehicles (EVs) as a promising pathway. This chapter draws on extensive empirical research in the five Nordic
countries—Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden—looking at
the transition to electric mobility there, as part of a project known as
Nordic Vehicle-to-Grid, or NV2G (Noel et al. 2019b). This data includes:
• 257 expert interview participants across 17 cities in Denmark,
Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden (almost one million words of
transcribed text) (Sovacool et al. 2018b, c);
• Eight focus groups in Aarhus, Bergen, Copenhagen, Gothenburg,
Helsinki, Reykjavik, Stockholm, and Tampere (Noel et al. 2019c);
• A representative survey of 5000+ adult participants (Sovacool et al.
2018a) as well as an online choice experiment of preferences (Noel
et al. 2019a);
B. SOVACOOL
7.1
IntroductIon
Conventional forms of automobility, with their dependence on privatelyowned, petroleum-powered vehicles used primarily by single occupants,
are a significant source of major social ills including traffic jams and accidents, climate change, air pollution, and negative impacts on land use
(Urry 2004). For example, the World Health Organization (2018a) estimates that every year 1.25 million people are killed and 20–50 million
injured in traffic road crashes involving cars or motorcycles; globally, road
traffic injuries are also the leading cause of death for those between the age
of 15 and 29 years. In the realm of climate change, the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) notes that the transport sector produces
about 7 billion tonnes of direct greenhouse gas emissions each year, making it responsible for almost one-quarter (23%) of total energy-related
carbon dioxide equivalent emissions (Sims et al. 2014). With regard to
ambient air pollution, emissions of particulate matter and other hazardous
pollutants from road traffic contribute to hundreds of thousands of premature deaths each year (World Health Organization 2018b). Even in
Europe, some 40 million people across 115 of the largest cities in the
European Union are exposed to air exceeding health guidelines (for at
least one pollutant); in particular, children who reside close to roads with
heavy-duty vehicle traffic have twice the risk of respiratory problems as
those living near less congested streets (World Health Organization 2018b).
The race for more sustainable forms of passenger mobility has, therefore, commenced, with innumerable policymakers and other stakeholders
exploring electric mobility and electric vehicles (EVs) as a promising pathway. This chapter draws on extensive empirical research in the five Nordic
countries—Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden—looking at
the transition to electric mobility there, as part of a project known as
Nordic Vehicle-to-Grid, or NV2G (Noel et al. 2019b). This data includes:
• 257 expert interview participants across 17 cities in Denmark,
Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden (almost one million words of
transcribed text) (Sovacool et al. 2018b, c);
• Eight focus groups in Aarhus, Bergen, Copenhagen, Gothenburg,
Helsinki, Reykjavik, Stockholm, and Tampere (Noel et al. 2019c);
• A representative survey of 5000+ adult participants (Sovacool et al.
2018a) as well as an online choice experiment of preferences (Noel
et al. 2019a);
B. SOVACOOL