Framing Electric Mobility for Urban Sustainability in a Circular Economy Context: An Overview of the Literature

Walter Leal Filho, Ismaila Rimi Abubakar, Richard Kotter, Thomas Skou Grindsted, Abdul-Lateef Balogun, Amanda Lange Salvia, Yusuf A. Aina and Franziska Wolf
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Walter Leal Filho: Research and Transfer Centre “Sustainable Development and Climate Change Management”, European School of Sustainability Science and Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, 21033 Hamburg, Germany
Ismaila Rimi Abubakar: College of Architecture and Planning, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia
Richard Kotter: Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Engineering and Environment, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST, UK
Thomas Skou Grindsted: Department of People and Technology, Roskilde University, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
Abdul-Lateef Balogun: Geospatial Analysis and Modelling Research Group, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Seri Iskandar 32610, Malaysia
Amanda Lange Salvia: Graduate Program in Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Passo Fundo, São José 99052-900, Brazil
Yusuf A. Aina: Department of Geomatics Engineering Technology, Yanbu Industrial College, Yanbu 41912, Saudi Arabia
Franziska Wolf: Research and Transfer Centre “Sustainable Development and Climate Change Management”, European School of Sustainability Science and Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, 21033 Hamburg, Germany

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 14, 1-23

Abstract: The development of electro-mobility is one of the centerpieces of European country attempts to reduce carbon emissions and increase the quality of life in cities. The goals of reducing emissions from the transport sector and phasing out fossil-fueled vehicles in (urban) transport by 2050 present unrivaled opportunities to foster electro-mobility. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the literature and provides a detailed analysis of the current development of electro-mobility in Europe, assessing social, economic, and environmental aspects under a circular economy (CE) context. It also examines the existing challenges and suggests ways of addressing them towards improving the environmental performance of electro-mobility and the urban quality of life. The paper argues that a narrow technology-only agenda in electro-mobility will be less successful without the imperative of the CE, including not just materials and resources but also energy, to unlock the medium-term co-benefits of de-carbonization of both the transport as well as the building and energy sectors. The paper critically reviews some of the anticipated future developments that may guide the growth of this rapidly growing field into a CE.

Keywords: circular economy; electric mobility; Europe; carbon emission; transport; urban sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:14:p:7786-:d:592993

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