A regional event analysis of electric vehicle technology development in the Netherlands

Abstract

For the past 20 years battery electric transportation has frequently been assessed as the most desirable alternative for internal combustion driven cars. However widespread adoption has not yet been established. In this paper we studied the development trajectory of battery electric technology in the Netherlands using the “Functions of Innovation Systems” framework. Additionally a regional scope has been incorporated with which the effects of local policy and spatial proximity on BEV adoption in the Netherlands has been made more clear. Our research identifies three distinct periods starting with increased attention until 1999 followed by a strong decline. Since 2006, however, the technology is making a strong come-back. BEV adoption in the Netherlands seems largely dependent on foreign developments, which proved out to be more difficult to analyze using the functions of innovation systems framework. Combining a regional scope with the function approach, however, was relatively easy to accomplish. A strong influence of regional activities on the national TIS, was however, not found.