Sustainability-oriented innovation in the automobile industry: advancing electromobility in China, France, Germany and India

Many leading economies have recently launched policy initiatives to promote electromobility. E-mobility presupposes innovations that are both radical and systemic, as new charging infrastructure, new mobility concepts and new interfaces with the energy system are needed. The paradigm shift affects an industry that is the backbone of manufacturing in many countries. Policymakers therefore need to strike a difficult balance between competing objectives: to mitigate climate change, reduce urban air pollution, enhance energy security and strengthen the competitiveness of national auto industries. Also, they need to ensure that investments in new vehicles, more efficient batteries and public charging infrastructures are undertaken simultaneously and in a coordinated way. This article shows that China, France, Germany and India deal with these challenges differently. It traces policy differences back to initial industry characteristics, specific political priorities and patterns of economic governance.