Do more chargers mean more electric cars?

Arbeitspapier

Drawing on panel data from Germany, this paper estimates the relationship between charging infrastructure and the uptake of electric vehicles (EVs). We specify models with fixed effects and instrumental variables to gauge the robustness of our findings in the face of alternative channels through which endogeneity bias may emerge. We find that charging infrastructure has a statistically significant and positive impact on EV uptake, with the magnitude of the estimate increasing with population density. The evidence further suggests that although the incidence of charging points in Germany far exceeds the European Union's recommended minimum ratio of one point to ten EVs, inadequate infrastructure coverage remains a binding constraint on EV uptake. We use the model estimates to illustrate the relative cost effectiveness of normal and fast chargers by region, which supports a geographically differentiated targeting of subsidies.

Object Details

• ISBN: 978-3-96973-033-1
• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: Ruhr Economic Papers ; No. 893

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; National Government Expenditures and Related Policies: Infrastructures; Other Public Investment and Capital Stock ; State and Local Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue ; Environmental Economics: Government Policy ; Transportation Economics: General ; Regional Development Planning and Policy
• Subject: Transport policy ; electric vehicles ; charging infrastructure ; Germany

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Sommer, Stephan ; Vance, Colin
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung
• (where): Essen
• (when): 2021

Further information

• DOI: doi:10.4419/96973033
• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/231319
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:44 AM CET