Special Session #8: Electromobility and Society: Social, Economic and Urban Impacts of Electric Vehicles and Their Infrastructures

Co-chair: Julia Frotey, National Institute for Scientific Research, Montréal, Canada
Co-chair: Eric Hittinger, Rochester Institute of Technology, USA

Abstract: The transportation sector is the largest contributor to global greenhouse gases (GHG), exceeding even electricity system emissions in most developed countries. The 2016 IEA report on Mobility indicates that rapid adoption of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs, including plug-in hybrids and battery electrics) is essential to limit global warming to 2°C. Political interest in EVs is also growing, with a variety of policies that range from bans on thermal vehicles to mandated PEV sales quotas. Successfully achieving this transition requires more than just technical solutions. A rapid shift towards EVs requires an understanding of vehicle economics and consumer preferences, informed policy support, new infrastructure, and an understanding of how these different elements interact.

Through this session we propose to offer an overview of the challenges and misperceptions that still hinder the mass adoption of electric such as the costs of electric vehicle ownership and infrastructure, access to charging and range anxiety, knowledge of and access to electric car public policies (purchase aids and charging station installation incentives), controversial territorial constraints (i.e low emissions zones), and social acceptance of a paradigm shift in daily travel behavior (i.e from thermal cars to electric cars).

Co-chair Bios:

 

Julia Frotey

Bio: Dr. Julia FROTEY has received a PhD degree in Urban planning from Lille University in 2016, focused on charging stations for Electric Vehicle diffusion in France. She analyzed the regional electromobility business ecosystem as well as the spatial impact of charging stations. She has been a member of several research projects linked to the social and urban impacts of electromobility such as the MOUVE project (Mobility and Use of Electric Vehicles) or the ERICA project (Renewable energy for Charging stations). She is also a member of the research program CUMIN (Campus of University with Mobility based on Innovation and carbon Neutral) since 2016. After a being a postdoc fellow at Trois-Rivières University in Quebec within the eCAMPUS international Lab, she became a professor at the National Institute for Scientific research in Montréal.

 

Eric Hittinger

Bio: Dr. Eric HITTINGER holds a BSE in Polymer Science and Engineering and a MS in Macromolecular Science from Case Western Reserve University and a PhD in Engineering and Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University. Dr. Hittinger is currently an Associate Professor in Public Policy and is Affiliated Faculty at the Golisano Institute for Sustainability at Rochester Institute of Technology. He is also a WILL International Chair at the University of Lille.  Professor Hittinger has a background in electricity technology, policy, operation, and economics, with a focus on understanding the benefits and limitations of emerging technologies, including energy storage, electric vehicles, and renewable electricity sources.  Before entering the energy field, he was a Project Management Engineer for the US Army, with extensive travel to support military operations abroad. He is currently managing the TESS (Technical Economical Study of Sustainable campuses based on electro-mobility) project of the CUMIN program (Campus of University with Mobility based on Innovation and carbon Neutral) of University of Lille.