Electric Mobility and Social Sustainability Research: A Bibliometric Review

Electric mobility is increasingly recognised as a sustainable transportation solution worldwide. While the economic and environmental aspects of e-mobility have been explored extensively, social dimensions such as equity, accessibility, and inclusiveness remain underexplored. Existing literature on these social aspects is fragmented across disciplines, shaped by varying regional contexts, which complicates efforts to form a coherent understanding of the field. To address this gap, a bibliometric analysis was conducted using the R-studio software via the Biblioshiny app. Version 4.3.0. This analysis systematically maps the intellectual landscape, identifies dominant themes, and highlights critical research gaps at the intersection of e-mobility and social sustainability. A total of 490 publications were extracted from the Scopus database as of 23 March 2025. The findings reveal a sharp increase in scholarly attention since 2018, peaking at 110 publications in 2024. The top-ranked country is China, which has 130 publications. In addition, the research has clustered around four thematic areas: energy and charging infrastructure, social and economic impacts, public policy and regulations, and technological innovations. Despite this growth, persistent gaps remain, particularly concerning social equity, inclusive policy design, socio-economic disparities, and the real-world effects of emerging technologies on vulnerable populations. Future research should specifically explore how e-mobility initiatives can reduce regional access inequalities, generate quality green employment, and ensure that technologies such as vehicle-to-grid systems are equitably deployed to benefit low-income and marginalised populations.