Comparing Electric Vehicle Delivery Strategies of Major Global Cities

Abstract

As opposed to the tendency that electric vehicle (EV) policies have been studied at the national level, this study compares those at the level of the city It particularly analyzes European and U.S. cases in order to draw implications for metropolitan areas in Korea. First, World-leading cities commonly establish step-by-step plans, particularly they are equipped with short-range plans considering rapid technological developments in battery charging and storage capacity and with a monitoring and feedback protocol for adjusting their plans and achieving ultimate goals. Second, social and spatial settings are reflected in city-level EV strategies, for example, an image as an environmental leader is used to bring about a virtuous circle for the distribution of EVs and charging infrastructure as well as for EV-related industries and research and development activities. Third, for extended electric vehicle miles of travel and drivers’ reliability on EVs, a close collaboration between neighboring areas—for instance, between Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi— are rather necessary not only in building the charging infrastructure and EV-friendly road systems, but also in conducting collaborative research and demonstration projects. Lastly, mobility electrification can be initiated by the mayor leadership, but it may be facilitated and managed through a taskforce or other types of cooperative systems for the realistic involvement of key stakeholders. In the same sense, as a main implication for Korean cities, whether to set the EV goal on the number/percentage of EVs or charging stations should be determined by considering stakeholders’ number/size, interests, positions, relationships, resources, incentives, and timing/ target years among others.