A socio-technical analysis of widespread electric vehicle adoption

A combination of high fuel costs, concerns about petroleum availability, and environmental issues associated with conventional vehicles powered by fossil fuels are driving interests in electric vehicles (EVs). Large-scale deployment of EVs can play a significant role in addressing some of these problems. In spite of the benefits of EVs, several obstacles need to be overcome before EVs will be widely adopted. This research focuses on two socio-technical issues that affect widespread adoption and sustainability of EVs, consumer attitudes and perceptions, and supply chain risks of raw materials for EV battery technology. A major barrier is that consumers tend to resist new technologies that are considered unproved, thus, engineering and policy decisions that consider their critical concerns will have a higher level of success. This research identifies potential socio-technical barriers to consumer adoption of EVs and determines if sustainability issues influence consumer decision to purchase an EV. In addition, this study employs statistical analysis to provide valuable insights into preferences and perceptions of technology enthusiasts. The second part of this research focuses on a supply chain analysis of lithium, which is a major raw material for lithium-ion batteries used in EVs. This research identifies potential issues with the security and supply of lithium for production of lithium-ion batteries. Furthermore, this study develops a supply chain model with which to investigate the technical, geopolitical, and economic factors that influence the supply of lithium through different life cycle stages. Finally, this research conducts a bibliometric analysis of the EV research and proposes some policy and research actions to advance the technology