The Diffusion of Electric Vehicles in Europe: An Empirical Analysis

The transport sector is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the European Union (EU) (European Environment Agency, 2024). Moreover, it is the only economic sector in the EU that has experienced increased emissions in recent decades (Patino-Artaza et al., 2024). The EU has set ambitious climate targets to lead the transition to a low-carbon economy and meet the commitments of the Paris Agreement. The main framework of this strategy is the European Green Pact, which aims to transform Europe into the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, achieving a net zero GHG emissions balance (Peeters & Misonne, 2022). Current measures are insufficient to achieve the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement and therefore there is a need to increase and accelerate near-term climate ambition to close this gap (Calvin et al., 2023; Elzen et al., 2018). Therefore, additional policies aimed at containing inefficient mobility demand and shifting activity towards more sustainable transport patterns need to be implemented (European Environment Agency, 2024b). JEL Codes: Q54, R41, L62 Keywords: Electric Vehicle Adoption, Sustainable Mobility, Greenhouse Gas Emissions.