Drivers for and barriers to electric freight vehicle adoption in Stockholm

Freight transport in urban areas needs to become more sustainable. There is much potential to reduce emissions by transitioning to electric freight vehicles (EFVs). The context of this study is Sweden, a country with ambitious goals for transitioning to fossil-free road transport that incentivizes the adoption of EFVs through regulations, subsidies and environmental zones. However, it seems that few companies are adopting EFVs. This paper aims to explore why that is by investigating drivers for and barriers to the adoption of EFVs. An embedded case study of five firms in Stockholm that are exploring the possibilities of using EFVs is conducted. The findings reveal a number of drivers and barriers, which are then categorized as internal, external or governmental. The results show uncertainties at the micro, meso and macro levels. Uncertainties relate to political and legal uncertainties, technological and infrastructure-related uncertainties, customer expectations and willingness to pay, and operational uncertainties.