Community Essay: Sustainable approach to automobile society in Japan

Abstract

What is the difference between electric vehicles (EVs) in society and an EV society? “EVs in society” means simply the replacement of gasoline-powered cars with EVs without taking into consideration pervasive social issues. By contrast, an “EV society” is a concept whereby EVs are more fundamentally woven into the fabric of society with the aim of solving a range of social problems, while at the same time questioning the meaning of what an automobile “is” and “can be.” It is this “game-changing” principle of integration that drives our research.

Keywords

• motor vehicles
• transportation
• mobility
• city planning
• aging
• electric power
• social behavior
• social change