Transitions as a coevolutionary process: The urban emergence of electric vehicle inventions

This paper combines a multi-sectoral approach with a perspective on the geography of transitions. The concept of coevolution is used to bridge these contributions as it allows to see mutual influences and adaptation between sectors while acknowledging spatial embeddedness and its economic, institutional and social aspects. The argument is discussed using the case of the transition to Electric Vehicles (EVs) and the connections between three technologies: EV, battery, and smart grid. Patent citations are used to construct three main paths allowing to geolocate key inventions and to elaborate on the role of cities in supporting knowledge recombination. The case study suggests that a coevolutionary perspective can contribute to understanding the geography of transitions in three ways: by relating emerging socio-technical configurations to changed power relations and opportunities along the value chain, by exposing the spatial embeddedness of interdependent sectors and by clarifying the role of actors and networks.