Topic 5: Consideration of societal perspectives in sustainable vehicle and transport solutions

On the way to solutions for sustainable vehicles and transport systems, it is essential to recognize the decisive influence of social perspectives on the success and acceptance of these solutions. However, it is becoming increasingly apparent that the current landscape of sustainable vehicle and transportation solutions often ignores the social dimension. This shortfall underscores the urgent need to prioritize societal perspectives in the development and implementation of sustainable transportation initiatives, fostering inclusive, resilient, and sustainable mobility ecosystems. Incorporating diverse societal viewpoints supports the development of transportation systems that address the needs of all community members, promote inclusivity, and enhance overall public acceptance and support for sustainable mobility solutions.  

This topic invites to submit contributions that aim to explore the intersection of societal perspectives and sustainable transportation, focusing on the vital role of social, cultural, and socio-economic factors in the development and implementation of sustainable vehicle and transport solutions. Experts and researchers will share insights on integrating societal considerations into sustainable mobility solutions’ design, deployment, and acceptance and attendees will gain valuable perspectives to foster equitable, inclusive, and effective strategies for advancing sustainable vehicle and transport initiatives. This interdisciplinary gathering features presentations and discussions on the impacts of sustainable transportation on various stakeholders. 

Contributions shall focus on, but it are not limited to, the following research questions and topics: 

  1. How do cultural and behavioral norms shape the adoption of sustainable transportation options? 
  1. What are the social and economic barriers to accessing sustainable transport options, and how can these be mitigated? 
  1. How can sustainable transportation initiatives be designed to prioritize equity and accessibility for diverse communities? 
  1. What factors influence public perception and acceptance of sustainable vehicle technologies, such as electric vehicles or alternative fuel options? 
  1. How do social sustainability impacts vary across different vehicle and transport solutions, and what methods can be employed to comprehensively assess and compare these impacts? 
  1. What are the key social factors and indicators that should be considered when evaluating the sustainability of transportation systems, and how can these factors be effectively integrated into decision-making processes? 
  1. How can the regulatory landscape (e.g., Corporate Due Diligence Directive, EU-Taxonomy, Corporate Reporting Directive, …) stimulate the consideration of social factors and social sustainability impacts within transportation systems? 
  1. What insights can be gained from research focused on understanding consumer mobility behavior, including the factors influencing the choice of (more sustainable) mobility modes, and how can these insights inform the development of policies and initiatives to promote sustainable transportation? 
  1. What factors need to be considered in human-vehicle-interaction to facilitate sustainable consumer mobility behavior? (such factors could be, for instance, motion sickness in different vehicle and transport modes, psychoacoustic perspectives of electric vehicles, noise exposure,). 

Given the nature of these topics, a wide variety of studies are invited, ranging from the proposition of technical and methodological concepts and prototypes over single and multiple-case studies of the implementation of different digital technologies , to deductive empirical studies investigating antecedents and potential effects on all system levels.