ABSTRACT
The transformation in the transport sector towards electric drive systems is widely regarded as a way to lower GHG-emissions and reach climate goals. However, while the reduced use of fossil fuels leads to less emissions in developed countries, adverse social and ecological side effects are distributed unevenly; especially countries of the Global South are negatively affected. Despite the growing awareness of political and economic actors regarding this unjust state of affairs, sustainable solutions are still missing. The paper analyses in a comprehensive literature review the socio-technical dynamics of the shift towards e-mobility in the framework of the Multi-Level-Perspective approach (MLP) and investigate the role of externalisation. It makes clear that the strong socio-technical regime of the automobile, which is further stabilised by a widely accepted ‘habitus of externalisation’ and the urgency to tackle climate change prevents profound changes in favour of incremental innovation within the existing system.
