Mobility Transition Research Articles

Managing grid impacts from increased electric vehicle adoption in African cities

Electric vehicles are pivotal for global climate solutions, particularly in emerging markets like Africa. Despite the continent’s clean energy potential, electric vehicle adoption faces unique challenges due to inefficiencies and reliability issues of distribution power grids. Here, we analyze the impacts of expanding electric vehicle fleets—private, commercial, and paratransit—on Nairobi’s power grid. We simulate traffic patterns, charging behaviors, and transformer utilization using local mobility data. Our results show that while electric commercial and paratransit fleets may improve power system efficiency, widespread private EV adoption could significantly strain the grid, increasing peak loads and transformer aging. Smart charging strategies could mitigate these issues, reducing potential transformer replacement costs by up to 40%. Our study highlights the importance of tailored demand management and infrastructure planning to support EV growth in African cities, providing critical insights for policymakers, utilities, and transport planners to facilitate sustainable electric mobility transitions.

An innovative virtual sensing system for the vehicle-centric evaluation of emissions in the sustainable mobility transition

The objective of the research is to develop a new methodology capable of quantifying the emissions of internal combustion engine cars based not only on their technology but also on the dynamic behavior of the individual vehicle. No complicated exhaust measurement apparatus is needed. Employing just a telematic device equipped with GNSS and an inertial measurement unit, which can be easily attached to the vehicle, we demonstrate how individualised, accurate climate-altering emissions result by using figures extracted from European test databases, appropriately combined with real travelled distances, speeds, and driving style of each individual car. Pollutant emissions are, in this paper, also assessed though in a more general manner, and this represents a starting point for a future complete vehicle-centric emissions evaluation. This research demonstrates that circulating car emissions have to be assessed considering not only the Euro class and type of fuel, but also how the vehicle is driven. In this work a new, implementation oriented methodology is proposed in order to properly merge average European standard emission data with car-based telematic measures to highlight a new paradigm for regulating in a more conscious way the transition of the internal combustion engine car park towards a large scale, sustainable mobility ecosystem. This approach would place greater responsibility on the driver, without leaving anyone behind and without compelling the car scrapping solely based on the Euro class of its engine. The key contribution is ultimately to establish an easy to handle methodology enabling targeted and behavior-based traffic management policies. In fact, through a massive telematics recent dataset, the proposed virtual emission sensing system reveals that an extensive and inefficient use of eco-friendly vehicles produces much more greenhouse gas emissions than older vehicles driven in an environmentally responsible way.

Place-based sustainable urban mobility: a conceptual framework to spark local designs

ABSTRACT Sustainable urban mobility transitions take into account the transportation needs of users and utilities, locality, regional development, and social inclusiveness. This research investigates this complexity and details the planning pillars of ‘avoid, shift, improve’ in a conceptual framework with place-based considerations and prioritisations. Three UK cities provide empirical examples – Durham, Nottingham and London – to illustrate local priorities, governance and investment requirements, under the three inseparable planning pillars. Lessons from these case studies demonstrate the need for strong and aligned collaboration between public and private stakeholders, promoting urban mobility alternatives, infrastructure improvements and covering investment costs.

Take a hike: Spatializing allemannsretten and transportation accessibility for outdoor recreation in the Greater Stavanger Region, Norway

ABSTRACT A special connection between people and their environment is legally recognized in Norway as Allemannsretten, the right to enjoy a large part of Norwegian nature. Scholarship on leisure mobility, spatial planning, and transport geography recognizes the intrinsic value of this spatial connection. As people travel for outdoor recreation, equitable access to recreation is a goal for just transport systems and must be achieved as these systems are digitalized and electrified for low-carbon transitions. The aim of the article is to identify the impact of transportation accessibility on outdoor recreation habits in the Greater Stavanger Region, Norway’s third-largest metropolitan region. With car-centric development since the 1970s and ambitious automobility-reduction targets, transportation accessibility for outdoor recreation is a key indicator of challenges to overcome in mobility transitions, yet features marginally in public debate. In focusing on popular outdoor day trips and based on multisited interviews with both car owners and non-owners, the authors identify oversights in accessibility, spatializing the issue of local destinations in relation to urban transport transition. They conclude that policymakers must address specific gaps to make transport systems desirable and inclusive, and that a spatial lens can be used to problematize and advance just low-carbon transitions.

Soundscape design methodology using a perception model for activity transition in future mobility

In the context of Future Mobility, a methodology for soundscape design using a perception model has been developed to facilitate the implementation of performance spaces among various activity transitions. This approach involved evaluating the soundscape and room acoustics of orchestra performances and solo singing that penetrate the vehicle interior, aimed at comparing with the auditory and visual environments of a concert hall. The performance hall being compared was a large, rectangular concert hall, and the evaluation point was located in the center of the audience. To investigate audio-visual preferences, variables related to sound pressure level and spatial acoustic quality were initially defined. Following this, in-car human perception in Concert Hall mode was assessed, grounded on indoor acoustic parameters relevant to music listening, encompassing acoustic satisfaction and audio-visual components. To enhance the poor audio-visual environmental conditions inside the vehicle from a UX perspective, implementations of transparent displays and stereoscopic sound were implemented. The methodology was validated based on the psychophysiological responses of participants to the audio-visual soundscape factors, aiming for performance enhancement.

Multi-level governance and modal thinking: tensions in electric mobility transitions in European cities

Innovations around electric vehicle (EV) technology are viewed as a promising pathway to rapidly decarbonise transport systems in transition studies. However, the mobility histories and path dependencies that shape these transitions are spatially uneven both horizontally across different geographies and vertically between different scales of authority and responsibility. As such, they are rooted in the assumptions and power relations that underlay the policy processes of city and metropolitan governance. This study takes the novel approach of comparing these processes both horizontally between cities and vertically between levels of government. The analysis is based on 50 expert interviews with local and national actors involved in delivering policy related to electric mobility in four European cities: Bristol, United Kingdom; Oslo, Norway; Poznań, Poland, and Utrecht, Netherlands. In all four cities, national, inter- and supra-national pressures generate a perception among some interviewees that the transition to electric mobility, and particularly the electrification of private cars, is inevitable. Yet because modal thinking permeates urban transport policymaking, the majority of our experts define sustainable and just urban mobility as that involving modes other than the private car. A key contribution of this study is revealing this tension between national EV priorities and urban aims to reduce car traffic, which subconsciously influences local policymakers’ perceptions of the transition to electric mobility. The study also offers to new insights into how city and metropolitan policymakers can be more inclusive, innovative, and locally-responsive in shaping policies for accommodating both EVs and new modes like e-scooters.

Upscaling cargo bike sharing in cities: A comparative case study

Urban mobility transitions are essential to mitigate climate change and improve the quality of life in cities. Cargo bikes (CBs) show promise in replacing motorised vehicles due to their lower carbon intensity, space efficiency, and ability to reduce air and noise pollution. CB sharing relieves users from purchase and maintenance costs. However, it is mainly adopted by individuals with high environmental awareness. Barriers to CB sharing stem from the urban infrastructure, individual mobility choices, and the design of CB sharing organisations (CBSOs). This article analyses upscaling pathways for CB sharing, i.e., increasing their use by a broader audience and reshaping the urban mobility regime. It delivers a comparative case study analysis of two CBSOs: Grätzlrad, Vienna, and LastenVelo e.V., Freiburg. Data was collected through academic and grey literature review and 15 semi-structured interviews with CB sharing stakeholders and experts. The analytical framework is informed by strategic niche management, viewing CB sharing as a niche innovation in the urban mobility regime. The article enhances understanding of CB sharing, the interaction of CBSOs with key actors, and their scalability. CBSOs should increase the availability of shared CBs while reducing the organisational effort required from users. New ways of CB sharing, e.g., integration in shared mobility hubs, should be explored. Municipal actors play a crucial role in upscaling and ensuring that CB sharing reaches a diverse user base. The findings are useful for academia, practitioners and policymakers working with CB sharing and other sustainable urban mobility solutions.

Taking the car out of the countryside: Understanding opposition to climate policy in rural Finland

There is an urgent need to decarbonize mobility. Yet, the necessary policies risk compounding existing vulnerabilities and controversies and creating new ones, potentially leading to political polarization. One affected population consists of people living in rural peripheries. Drawing from a Finnish public consultation survey (n = 18,378), we explore how rural participants (n = 4995) experience policies and proposals to decarbonize mobility: how they perceive the problem and what they propose as solutions. We draw on Noortje Marres' concept of attachments to understand the socio-material, discursive and subjective attachments that coalesce in rural experiences of policies and proposals to decarbonize mobility. We contribute to previous research on spatial inequalities in the mobility transition by showing how electric vehicles might not simply replace internal combustion engines in rural areas. We also show how distributive policies, i.e. subsidies, might not solve the problems, because different dimensions of attachments are intertwined and serve to maintain each other and thus reinforce existing experiences of inaccessibility and injustice. We conclude with suggestions for how to better address just and acceptable mobility transitions for rural dwellers.

Causal mechanisms in sustainable urban mobility transitions

Causal mechanisms in sustainable urban mobility transitions

RescuePY: Simulation-Based Rescue Response Impact Assessment

Mobility in metropolitan regions is changing. The distribution of space in cities, the design of transport modes, and the organization of mobility are being re-thought. However, no matter the changes and innovations on the way to a more sustainable future, essential constants must be upheld: In the event of minor, regionally limited emergencies, medical assistance must reach those in need quickly. When dealing with large-scale emergencies, the ability to evacuate the area promptly must be ensured. The impact analysis of mobility innovations on emergency services within urban areas so far has been based purely on empirical observations using existing data. Currently, it is only possible to analyze what-if considerations in a limited way. Nevertheless, due to the increasingly rapid changes in mobility, a comprehensive and interlinked analysis will be necessary. This is the key contribution of rescuePY: rescuePY is a simulation suite based on the mesoscopic and microscopic simulation environment hybridPY. It allows holistic and microscopic transport modeling of rescue infrastructure to quantify the impact of the mobility transition towards higher sustainability on the performance of rescue services. The main features of this software are: Rescue system assessment for strategic, long-term planning Mobility-influence studies for operative, mid-term planning Activity-based urban evacuation modeling The capabilities of rescuePY are demonstrated by two applications: a simulation- based, mesoscopic system analysis of emergency services in Munich compared to real-world data and microscopic modeling of emergency vehicles (EMVs) in different road architectures. Ongoing developments aim to improve the evaluation methodology for the aggregated impact analysis of mobility innovations on rescue response services.

Sustainable Mobility Transition: A SWOT-AHP Analysis of the Case Study of Italy

Sustainable Mobility Transition: A SWOT-AHP Analysis of the Case Study of Italy

Pseudogenes in plasmid genomes reveal past transitions in plasmid mobility.

Evidence for gene non-functionalization due to mutational processes is found in genomes in the form of pseudogenes. Pseudogenes are known to be rare in prokaryote chromosomes, with the exception of lineages that underwent an extreme genome reduction (e.g. obligatory symbionts). Much less is known about the frequency of pseudogenes in prokaryotic plasmids; those are genetic elements that can transfer between cells and may encode beneficial traits for their host. Non-functionalization of plasmid-encoded genes may alter the plasmid characteristics, e.g. mobility, or their effect on the host. Analyzing 10832 prokaryotic genomes, we find that plasmid genomes are characterized by threefold-higher pseudogene density compared to chromosomes. The majority of plasmid pseudogenes correspond to deteriorated transposable elements. A detailed analysis of enterobacterial plasmids furthermore reveals frequent gene non-functionalization events associated with the loss of plasmid self-transmissibility. Reconstructing the evolution of closely related plasmids reveals that non-functionalization of the conjugation machinery led to the emergence of non-mobilizable plasmid types. Examples are virulence plasmids in Escherichia and Salmonella. Our study highlights non-functionalization of core plasmid mobility functions as one route for the evolution of domesticated plasmids. Pseudogenes in plasmids supply insights into past transitions in plasmid mobility that are akin to transitions in bacterial lifestyle.

The Democratization of Long-Distance Migration: Trajectories and Flows during the “Mobility Transition,” 1850–1910

Abstract This article analyzes and demonstrates the declining social selectivity of migration distance in Europe’s long nineteenth century and argues that this drove a radically new process of democratization of long-distance migration. It uses innovative spatial and quantitative analysis of nominal data on more than 5,000 international migrants who moved to the booming port city of Antwerp in present-day Belgium between 1850 and 1910. Examining the changes in migrants’ origins and trajectories on the one hand, and in their profiles in terms of gender and occupations on the other hand, it argues that the main evolutions observed represent an overall loosening of the ancien régime link between migration distance on the one hand and social selectivity on the other hand. By focusing on gender and social class as markers of social selectivity and by mapping the impressive expansion of the trajectories of Antwerp’s growing number of long-distance migrants, it lays bare the spatial, gender, and social dimensions that contributed to a general process of democratization of long-distance migration. As such, it sheds new light on the dynamics of Europe’s so-called “mobility transition” in the long nineteenth century.

Mastering Participatory Living Labs

This paper presents the concept and implementation of participatory living labs in the context of the unIT-e² project, which aims to integrate electromobility into the energy system efficiently. The article focuses on two field trials involving private and corporate users of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure. The paper describes the theoretical foundations of participatory aspects in living labs and proposes a participation pyramid model to structure the different levels and methods of participation. The paper also reports on the practical experiences and lessons from applying the participation pyramid model in the context unIT-e². The paper offers general recommendations for future participatory living labs in the energy and mobility transition context, such as developing an interaction strategy before participant acquisition, ensuring early onboarding and continuous information provision, balancing online and offline events, and gathering and listening to participant feedback. The paper concludes that professional, proactive, and regular interaction with the participants is crucial for the success of living labs and the knowledge gained for civil society and science.

Life cycle assessment of electric kick scooters: consolidating environmental impact quantification and concluding climate-friendly use options

BackgroundThe environmental impact of electric scooters has been the subject of critical debate in the scientific community for the past 5 years. The data published so far are very inhomogeneous and partly methodologically incomplete. Most of the data available in the literature suffer from an average bias of 34%, because end-of-life (EOL) impacts have not been modelled, reported or specified. In addition, the average lifetime mileage of shared fleets of e-scooters, as they are operated in cities around the world, has recently turned out to be much lower than expected. This casts the scooters in an unfavourable light for the necessary mobility transition. Data on impact categories other than the global warming potential (GWP) are scarce. This paper aims to quantify the strengths and weaknesses of e-scooters in terms of their contribution to sustainable transport by more specifically defining and extending the life cycle assessment (LCA) modelling conditions: the modelling is based on two genuine material inventories obtained by dismantling two different e-scooters, one based on a traditional aluminium frame and another, for the first time, based on plastic material.ResultsThis study provides complete inventory data to facilitate further LCA modelling of electric kick scooters. The plastic scooter had a 26% lower lifetime GWP than the aluminium vehicle. A favourable choice of electric motor promises a further reduction in GWP. In addition to GWP, the scooter's life cycles were assessed across seven other impact categories and showed no critical environmental or health impacts compared to a passenger car. On the other hand, only the resource extraction impact revealed clear advantages for electric scooters compared to passenger cars.ConclusionsUnder certain conditions, scooters can still be an important element of the desired mobility transition. To assure a lifetime long enough is the crucial factor to make the electric scooter a favourable or even competitive vehicle in a future sustainable mobility system. A scooter mileage of more than 5400 km is required to achieve lower CO2eq/pkm emissions compared to passenger cars, which seems unlikely in today's standard use case of shared scooter fleets. In contrast, a widespread use of e-scooters as a commuting tool is modelled to be able to save 4% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across the German mobility sector.

Green transport fleet renewal using approximate dynamic programming: A case study in German heavy-duty road transportation

Governments and manufacturers are starting to enforce the European transport industry’s transition to sustainable mobility. Meanwhile, transport companies have begun to set their own emissions goals. To achieve these sustainably, they must develop efficient policies to renew their fleets with alternative-fuel vehicles. However, since future trends in relevant parameters are highly uncertain, fleet managers struggle to make informed decisions. We formulate fleet renewal as a sequential optimization problem, considering multiple technologies and operational clusters. Vehicle purchase, sales, depreciation, fuel, carbon, and electric battery prices are modeled as stochastic variables. We propose approximate dynamic programming to calculate fleet renewal policies that achieve emissions goals while optimizing total costs of ownership. This approach is tested in a case study of a German logistics service provider. We investigate optimal timings of purchases and sales for a heavy-duty truck fleet, considering four drivetrain technologies. Our approach can guide decision making in various fleet renewal settings. By applying it to the case study, we derive important managerial implications. The mobility transition will significantly increase transport fleets’ total cost of ownership. To minimize costs, companies should not move prematurely to low-emissions technologies, but hold vehicles for as long as possible to benefit from fewer purchases and sinking prices. The optimal policy depends on the distance driven. For short-distance operations, diesel trucks will remain the dominant technology in the next years, but will be replaced by battery electric trucks in the medium term. In the far future, trucks powered by electricity and hydrogen will be equally important.

The Wrong Side of the River: a Cantonese Emigrant Community in the Nineteenth-Century Mobility Transition

Abstract This focused study of one emigrant community in southern China explores linkages between internal and overseas migration during the nineteenth century, emphasizing both the diversity of lived experience and the contingent nature of categories that have informed the historiography of overseas Chinese migrants. Building on comparative studies that present an aggregate picture of changing migration patterns during the “mobility transition,” this microhistory shows how both preexisting and novel patterns of internal migration (urbanization, frontier migration, and military migration) shaped new strategies of overseas migration. For this particular emigrant community, new dynamics of migration in the mid-nineteenth century influenced the reputation of its emigrants, bringing about a transition from respectability to notoriety. Whereas earlier patterns of internal migration had linked this community to its neighbor on the opposite bank of the West River, new dynamics of migration in the nineteenth century bolstered the river’s role as a boundary. This community’s liminal place highlights the contingent nature of nineteenth-century tropes and current categories of overseas Chinese migrants.

Older drivers’ attitudes are associated with readiness for changes in mobility

For many older adults, driving is an important means of community mobility. With changes in health, aging increases the likelihood of ceasing to drive. Driving cessation is associated with a host of negative physical and mental health outcomes. Increased readiness to transition to non-driving status may mitigate some of the adverse consequences of driving cessation, making the transition to non-driving a pivotal period for intervention. We examined the relationship between attitudes towards driving (positive and negative) and readiness for mobility transition. Participants (n = 253, mean age = 79.13) completed measures of health, cognition, personality, attitudes towards driving, and readiness for mobility change. The results from the multiple hierarchical regression analysis showed that individuals who reported more positive attitudes towards driving relative to themselves (i.e., pro-self scale) and others (i.e., pro-other scale), as well as scored lower on the personality trait agreeableness, were less ready for mobility transition. The results emphasize the importance of taking into account driver attitudes, in addition to health considerations, when supporting the transition to non-driving.

Conflicts in real-world labs ‐ Perspectives of critical and ambivalent residents on a temporary public space redesign project in Berlin

Real-world labs make the mobility transition tangible for residents. However, these experiences are not always positive, and often local conflicts arise. Based on in-depth interviews, the authors show that perceived procedural unfairness as well as the redistribution of space are the main drivers of a sceptical attitude towards redesign projects.Real-world labs (RwLs) are often used to explore and foster the mobility transition. Many RwLs dealing with mobility transition temporarily reallocate public spaces from motorized to active transport or to leisure activities. While some residents accept and enjoy the changes, others react with scepticism, rejection, or protest. This can lead to conflicts. Controversial perceptions and conflicts among residents make a permanent redesign rather challenging for the administration and the politicians. In this paper the authors investigate the related conflict types and counterarguments by studying the case of a temporary redesign of an intersection in Berlin. Based on in-depth interviews, they untangle procedural, distributional, and identity conflicts which might underlie the critical and ambivalent perceptions of residents. An abundance of conflict issues pertaining to procedural and distributional conflicts are revealed and emphasize the role of the RwL process.

Beyond scalable impacts: Roles of mobility experiments in local transition governance

The impact of short-term, localized real-world experiments on sustainable change is debated. Our analysis of three mobility experiments shows that even in the absence of quantifiable results, these experiments are still perceived as successful. By highlighting the underlying collective discursive strategies, we emphasize the different roles of experimentation in local mobility transitions and the importance of social learning and collective understanding in urban experimentation.In this article, we explore the role of real-world experiments in local transition governance, focusing on the negotiation between measurable impacts and the evaluation of localized, tangible outcomes. In our qualitative comparative analysis, we examine three distinct mobility experiments aimed at advancing sustainable transformation in mobility and urban planning, namely the co-creative research project City2Share in Munich, the political program of the Superblocks in Barcelona, and the real-world test bed for automated shuttles Digibus Austria in Koppl near Salzburg. Despite the structural limitations of the temporal, spatial, and legal framework and the uncertainties in measuring the impact, all experiments were presented as successful. This success was negotiated and re-framed via five discursive strategies: mobilizing citizen engagement, highlighting small achievements, manifesting institutional embedding, generating political momentum, and delegating responsibility. As we argue, success and scaling are not just the result of scientific proof, but also a matter of negotiating the political issues raised by the experiment.