The transportation of goods and people is at the heart of the industrial society.
Yet transportation relies heavily upon oil – a scarce fossil fuel that contributes to
climate change and local air pollution. The term ‘electromobility’ refers to an alternative
transportation system based on vehicles propelled by electricity. Electromobility
is increasingly seen as favourable in that it could circumvent problems related
to both oil and biofuels whilst meeting our mobility needs and desires. However,
the virtue of electromobility is not uncontested and a range of issues come to the
fore. Are electric vehicles energy efficient? Are they safe? How much greenhouse
gas is emitted in the production of electricity and advanced vehicle components?
Will battery production lead to new resource problems? Will electromobility
promote or hinder the diffusion of renewable energy? Will driving patterns shape
or be shaped by new types of vehicles? Is electromobility suitable for cars but not
freight transport? How is technical knowledge for electromobility produced and
by whom? Is the automotive industry up to the challenge? Is there a need for new
business models and governmental policy support (or both) to stimulate market
demand for electric vehicles?
There is no simple answer to these questions. However, studying electromobility
from different systems perspectives can help to resolve these complex issues.
Systems Perspectives on Electromobility 2013 is composed of fifteen chapters
that address different topics related to the immensely important issue of whether
– and to what extent – our transport systems can and should be energised by
electricity. The book is far from complete, but we hope it may be a useful starting
point for future discussions and debates