Challengesandopportunitiesforthezero-emissionvehicletransitioninruralregionsAuthors:GauravDubey,AlexanderTankou,KyleMorrison,SandraWappelhorst,andDaleHallMARCH2025BTheInternationalZero-EmissionVehicleAllianceisanetworkofleadingnationalandsub-nationalgovernmentsdemonstratingtheirdeepcommitmenttoacceleratingthetransitiontozero-emissionvehicleswithintheirmarketsandglobally.ItsmembersincludeAustria,Baden-Württemberg,BritishColumbia,California,Canada,Chile,Connecticut,CostaRica,Germany,Maryland,Massachusetts,theNetherlands,NewJersey,NewYork,NewZealand,Norway,Oregon,Québec,RhodeIsland,Switzerland,theUnitedKingdom,Vermont,andWashington.Thememberscollaboratethroughdiscussionofchallenges,lessonslearned,andopportunities;hostingeventswithgovernmentsandtheprivatesector;andcommissioningresearchonthemostpressingissuesintheZEVtransition.AcknowledgmentsThisworkwasconductedfortheInternationalZero-EmissionVehicleAlliancebytheInternationalCouncilonCleanTransportation(ICCT).TheauthorsthankLoganPierceandKaylinLeeforreviewinganearlierversionofthereport.WealsoextendourappreciationtothemembersoftheInternationalZero-EmissionVehicleAlliancewhoprovidedkeyinputonpolicyactivitiesandreviewedanearlierversionofthereport;theirreviewdoesnotimplyanendorsement.secretariat@zevalliance.org|www.zevalliance.orgiExecutivesummaryAsthetransitiontozero-emissionvehicles(ZEVs)acceleratesaroundtheworld,thereareconcernsaboutanunevenpaceacrossdifferentequitydimensions,includingbetweenurbanandruralregions.EnsuringasmoothZEVtransitioninruralregionsisimportantnotjustfromanequityperspective,butalsobecauseruralregionstendtohavegreatercardependenceandmorevehiclemilestraveled,atleastindevelopedeconomies.ThisreportexaminestheopportunitiesandchallengesforaZEVtransitioninruralregionsbyfirstevaluatingtheextenttowhichdisparitiesexistinZEVuptakebetweenurbanandruralregionsinGermanyandtheU.S.stateofNewYorkandthenexploringpotentialexplanationsforthesedifferences.BasedonareviewofliteratureandinterviewswithruralZEVusersinNorthAmericaandEurope,wethendiscussdifferentstepsthatcanbetakentoacceleratetheZEVtransitioninruralregions.Thereport’smainfindingsaresummarizedbelow.RuralregionsinGermanyareoutperformingurbanregionsinbatteryelectricvehicle(BEV)adoption,whileruralregionsinNewYorkstatearesubstantiallybehindurbanregions.In2023,63%ofthe110ruralregionsinGermanyhadBEVregistrationsharesofnewpassengercarregistrationsequaltoorabovethenationalaverageof18%.Incomparison,56%ofthe95urbanregionsinGermanyhadratesequaltoorabovethenationalaverage.Thisissimilartopreviousyears.InNewYorkin2023,36%ofthe22urbanregionshadBEVregistrationsharesofnewcarsandlighttrucks(collectivelyreferredtoaslight-dutyvehicles)registrationsequaltoorabovethestateaverageof5.3%,whilenoruralregionswereatorabovetheaverage.FigureES1comparesBEVsharesofnewvehicleregistrationswiththenationalaverage(Germany)orwiththestateaverage(NewYorkstate)inrural,intermediate(withurbanizationlevelsbetweenruralandurbanregions),andurbanregionsinGermanyandNewYorkstate.iiPredominantlyurbanregionsIntermediateregionsPredominantlyruralregionsPredominantlyurbanregionsIntermediateregionsPredominantlyruralregionsBatteryelectricvehicleregistrationshareequaltoorabovetheNewYorkaverage(5.3%)in2023BatteryelectricvehicleregistrationsharebelowtheNewYorkaverage(5.3%)in2023PredominantlyurbanregionsIntermediateregionsPr...
