On the way to electromobility – a green(er) but more unequal future?

Abstract:

As the first sealed deal of the ‘Fit for 55’ package, the phase-out of the combustion engine in European new car sales by 2035 is now official. The transition to electromobility is gaining momentum and this is good news. However, the pattern (and the underlying business model) of electrification is far from ideal. New fault-lines are being created, with a rising inequality in consumer composition both between and within countries doing nothing to support a broader mobility shift. This is not only socially unjust, but also puts the achievement of the 2050 net-zero transport goals at risk. The continuing ‘upmarket drift’ in the industry – which is seeing the production of heavier, faster and more expensive battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrids that, among other problems, have larger battery needs – is also putting a strain on critical material use.