The Energy-Mobility Nexus. Governing Technologies of Indirect Electrification

The transition of the transport sector has far-reaching implications for the energy supply system. The dominant debate, beyond traffic avoidance and modal shift to public transport and non-motorized modes, focuses on new propulsion technologies as a means of sector coupling of transport and energy sectors. Battery-electric vehicles play a dominant role in this context, the scientific discussion focuses in particular on the governance of direct electrification of transport (cf. Kestert et al. 2019). This is noteworthy, since direct electrification is certainly associated with serious problems, e.g. with regard to infrastructure, persistent range problems of vehicles, a poor "well-to-wheel" balance, or a lack of transferability to freight, air, and sea transport. Indirect electrification, in particular the use of hydrogen and synthetic fuels, has so far played a subordinate role in the transport policy debate. The proposed paper therefore aims to describe approaches to the governance of indirect electrification at the European and national level. In a second step, from the perspective of sector coupling, an assessment is to be made as to which policy instruments of indirect electrification could be appropriate not only with regard to a sustainable transition of the transport sector but also of the energy sector.