The Emergence of Electromobility. Comparing Technological Pathways in France, Germany, China and India

Globally, new forms of electromobility are challenging established transport technologies based on internal combustion engines. The authors explore how this transition is simultaneously unfolding in four countries, enabling them to shed some light on the dynamics and determinants of technological path creation. The paper's analysis covers two old industrialized countries (France and Germany) and two newly industrialized countries (China and India) with very different market conditions and policy frameworks. It reveals enormously different choices of technologies and business models and traces them back to four main drivers of divergence: technological capabilities, demand conditions, political priorities and economic governance.