The populist roadblock: The Alternative for Germany (AfD), climate denial, and electric vehicle adoption in Germany

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

11-1-2025

Abstract

This article investigates the influence of right-wing populist parties on public engagement with energy transitions, focusing on Germany's Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) and its opposition to electric vehicles (EVs). Even in the absence of direct governing power, such parties shape discursive environments, mobilize grievances, and condition consumer behavior. Using municipal-level data from 2018 to 2022, we examine patterns of EV adoption alongside electoral support for the AfD, controlling for charging infrastructure, commuting distances, socio-economic conditions, and demographic factors. Results confirm that structural determinants—such as infrastructure availability, mobility needs, education, and income—remain central to EV uptake. Yet political identity has become an increasingly salient predictor. While Green Party supporters consistently adopt EVs at higher rates, AfD supporters have grown significantly less likely to purchase them, particularly in rural districts. Interaction effects indicate that socio-economic vulnerabilities in these areas amplify the AfD's populist framing of the Energiewende as an elite-driven, urban project that threatens traditional lifestyles, jeopardizes the automotive sector, and imposes burdens on low-income households. These findings highlight how populist disinformation and climate skepticism undermine energy transitions not only through policy obstruction but also by eroding public trust and discouraging sustainable consumption. The analysis underscores that energy transitions cannot rely solely on technological innovation and economic incentives: their success hinges on broad societal legitimacy. As populist climate skepticism deepens, especially in rural contexts, the prospects for achieving ambitious decarbonization goals become increasingly precarious.

Publication Title

Energy Research and Social Science

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