Abstract:

Climate change is one of the most pressing issues that humanity is now facing. One of the causes of this phenomenon is the presence of high levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. The transportation sector, second only to the energy sector in terms of GHG emissions, emits massive volumes of CO2. A variety of measures are currently being taken on both the national and international levels to mitigate the negative effects of climate change. The promotion of electric mobility is one such measure for the transport sector. As a key component in a more environment-friendly, resource-saving, and efficient transport sector, electric mobility promises to create better sustainability. Several challenges still need to be met to exploit its full potential. This requires adapting the car technology, the value chain of vehicles, loads on the electricity network, the power generation for the drive, traffic, and charging infrastructure. The challenges to this endeavour are not only technical, but they also include social acceptance, concerns, and economic, as well as ecological, aspects. This paper seeks to discuss and elucidate these problems, giving special focus to the issues of driving range, the phenomenon of range anxiety, charging time, and the complexity of the charging infrastructure in Germany. The further focus of this study was on the complexity of planning a charging infrastructure for EVs. Finally, the development of social acceptance in Germany from 2011 to 2020 is investigated and the opinion on electric mobility has changed significantly between 2011 and 2020. This means that education, ongoing technology development, and the federal government’s funding programs are effective and moving in the right direction.