The electrifying moment? Electric vehicles and the rural-urban divide in Germany and the U.S.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

8-2026

Department

Department of Social Sciences

Abstract

This study analyzes the determinants of electric vehicle (EV) adoption across rural and urban areas in Germany and the United States. Using subnational data from four case regions (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Bavaria; Colorado and California), we examine how infrastructure, socioeconomic factors, and political dynamics shape EV uptake, measured as the share of EVs among registered vehicles in 2023. We employ multivariate linear regression models, including interaction terms and LASSO estimation for small samples, to assess the effects of charging infrastructure, income, education, homeownership, population density, and electoral behavior. Results show that charging infrastructure, income, and education are consistent positive predictors of EV adoption across both countries. However, the role of political factors diverges. In the United States, EV uptake is strongly associated with political polarization and rural identity, while in Germany, lower adoption is primarily explained by economic and infrastructural constraints, with far-right populism exerting a more limited but still significant effect. These findings suggest that policies to accelerate EV adoption must be context-specific: addressing material barriers in Germany, while also accounting for identity-based political resistance in the United States.

Publication Title

Energy Policy

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