The Electric Car: Mobility in Upheaval

The Electric Car
	Mobility in Upheaval
	Contents
	List of Contributors
1: Introductory Remarks
	Introductory Remarks
	Actors from Politics, Research and Industry (Picture 1.1)
	Electric Car as Carrier of Our Mobility Culture
	Conflict of Goals Between Resource Conservation and Individual Mobility
	Primacy of Politics
	Achievement of Civilization
	Political Control and Enlightenment
	The Leading Product of Modern Traffic Development
	The Ecological Challenge
		The Cult of Mobility
	Tempering the Mental Fixation on the Automobile
2: Dominion Over Space and Time
	Introductory Remarks
		Symbolic Meaning of the Car
		Culturally-Specific Characteristics of Usage
		Gains Achieved for Mankind’s Scope of Action
		Ecological Modernity
	The Two Poles of the Man-Machine Relationship
		Individual Mobility as a Basic Human Need
		The Car Considered as the Driver’s Communicative Behaviour
	The Car as an Object of Industrial Culture
		Decision to Prioritize Direct Movement Through Urban and Rural Spaces
		Hegemony of the Artifacts
	Democratization of the Car
		Mass Motorization
		Dependence on Political and Economic History (Fig. 2.2)
		The Motorized Society
		Increase in Real Income
		Improvement in the Standard of Living
	Car Owners
		Price Reductions as an Industrial Mass Product
	Industrial Mass Product
		Introduction of the Assembly Line
		Product Policy
		Increasing Attractiveness
		Brands
		Individual Distinction
	Cultural Function of the Car
		The Car as an Object of Modernity
		Futuristic Manifesto: Beauty of Speed
	Practical Values
		Exponentiation of Power
		The Car as an Objectivation of the Modern Quest for Speed and Locomotion
		Freedom of Movement
	The Cultural Configuration in the Context of Modernity
		Motif of Movement as the Motif of the Time
		Kinetic Revolution
		Individualization of Mobility
	Dissolving the Boundaries of Space: A Break in the Civilizational History of Mankind
		The Panoramic View of Space
		Isolation While Driving
	Symbolic and Aesthetic Aspects
		Aestheticization of the Car
	Aesthetic and Cultural Codes
		The Myth of Technology and Speed
		Electric Cars
		Car Races
	Symbolization of Social Status and Prestige
		Form of Representation (Fig. 2.5)
		Expressiveness of Form as Social Communication
		The Car as a Signifier of Social Hierarchies
	Automobile Design and the Imagery of Civilization
		Streamlined Form
	Individual Taste and Subjective Identity
	Symbolic Forms of Ownership
		Power and Freedom
		Expressions of the Desire for Power
	Semantics of Freedom
		Power Over Speed as a Highly-Regarded Ideological Value
			Concluding Remarks
3: Object of Desire
	Introductory Remarks
	The Electric Car in a Socio-political Context
		The Nature of Capitalist Development
	The “Devil’s Mill”
		Mobility as a Basic Social Service
		Ecological Limits of Economic Development
	The Electric Car in the Process of Social Transformation
		Who Is Talking About the Electric Car? What Is Being Said and Why?
			Looking Back into the Future
		Media Hype: The Electric Car
	Metamorphosis of the Automobile
		The Large-Scale Technical System of the Racing Sedan
			E-mobility Hype in Comparison: The 1990s and Today
	A Genealogy of Failure
		Common Features of the Two Discourses on Electric Mobility
		The First Hype About the Electric Car
		Economic Crisis and the Ecology Movement
		Legitimacy Crisis in the Automotive Industry
		Politics and Electric Power Companies as Driving Forces
		Change of Mood Against the Electric Car
	The Second Hype Over the Electric Car
		Hope for the Development of Sustainable Transport
	Replacement of the Internal Combustion Engine by the Electric Drivetrain
		The Electric Car as Savior
	Differences Between the Two Discourses on Electric Mobility
	The Electric Car and Renewable Energy
		Environmental Track Record
		Independence from Oil
		Changes in the Balance of Power
		New Players
		Shift in the Balance of Power
	Broad Research Agenda
		Classification of the Current Discourse on Electric Mobility
	In the Trough of Disillusionment
		It’s a Tie!
			Discussion of the Results
		Technological Determinism
	Battery Industry Versus Automotive Industry
		Energy and Transport Policy Framework
		A New Quality in the Current Discourse on Electromobility
		The Electric Car as a Metaphor for Sustainable Urban Transport
		A Comprehensive Sustainable Transport Policy
	Conclusions
		Far-Reaching Process of Social Transformation
		The Electric Car: A Contribution to Sustainable Transport Development?
		The Electric Car as a Compromise Formula
		A Potentially New Horizon
	Energy and Industrial Policy Take Precedence Over Transport Policy
		Technology-Oriented Strategy for Finding a Solution
		Replace Old Resource Dependency with a New One
		Goal: Behavioural Change
		From Energy to Transport
4: Completely New Possibilities
	Introductory Remarks
		Automobile Designers
	Creativity and Skill in Articulating Designs
		Convergence of Brand Profiles
			Automobile as Bearer of Symbolic Messages
		Habitus of the Creative Artist
			Restrictions
	Potential Scope for Design
		Designers as Initiators in the Development of a Sustainable Mobility Culture
			Interest in Knowledge and Methodology
		Design of the Vehicles
		Electric Car as an Emblem of the Post-oil Era
		The i3 Project from BMW
		The Aesthetic Dimension of the Electric Car
	The BMW i3 Electric Car: A Case Study
		Visual Attractiveness of the Product Design
			The Design Guidelines
		Modernity, Aerodynamics and Lightweight Construction: Guiding Principles of Conventional Automotive Engineering
		Highlighting Speed, Dynamism and Increased Mobility
		Specific Symbolic Messages of the Electric Car
			The Design
		Overall Appearance: Modern and Dynamic
		Visual Noise
		“Face” of the Car
		Aggressive Symbolism
	Retro-Design Study
		Nostalgic Design Concept
	Expression of Strong Self-assertion
		Ego-Bloating Product
			Critique
		Correlation: Aggressive Car Design and Aggressive Behavior in Traffic
		Collective Fixation of Modern Societies on the Car
	The Car as a Fetish Object
		Social Advancement and Symbolic Demarcation
			Fuelling the Need for Mobility: Irreconcilable with Ecological Objectives
	Cultural Context of the Automobile
		Conclusions
		A New Form of Taking Pleasure in Cars
		Change in Mobility Culture
		Smooth and Silent Movement Through Space
		Historical Design Concepts
	Aesthetically Integrative Products
		Restrained Internal Forms that Gently Enliven the Bodywork
		Self-confident Individual, Not an Actor in Need of Status
		Discreetly Vital Physicality
		Vital Functionality
5: The Benchmark Is Still Current Behavior
	Introduction
	Lack of Perspective for Users
		Deeply-Rooted Mobility Routines
		Bearers of a New Mobility Culture!
	Commercial Users of Electric Cars
		Research into Innovation and the Acquisition of Technology in Everyday Life
			Acceptance: A Necessary, but Not Sufficient Condition!
		The Acquisition of Technology as an Act of Adaptation
		Reciprocal Relationship Between the Acquisition of Technology and Processes of Social Diffusion
		The Electric Car as Part of Everyday Patterns of Mobility
		Integration of the Electric Car into Everyday Practices
	Early Adopters and Early Majority
		Basis for Transport Policy and Planning Strategies
	Substitution or Innovation: Two Perspectives on the Electric Car and Its Use
		Potential Uses of Electro-Mobility
		Reference to Conventional Vehicles
		Low Level of Suitability for Everyday Use
		Users’ Wishes and Conceptions of Mobility Are Decisive (Fig. 5.4)
		The Electric Car as Something Special
	Redesigning Electric Cars
		The Electric Car’s Potential for Innovation
		Novelty Value, Promise of Progress and Rarity Value
		Environmentally-Friendly Mobility
	Integrating the Electric Car into Everyday Life
		Expectations Surrounding the Electric Car
	Enduring Use and Modification of Mobility Routines?
		Modification of Mobility Routines
		Limits of Use
	No Development of New Mobility Routines
		Changes in Mobility Behavior
		Top-up or En-route Charging as a Basic Principle of Electro-Mobility
	Mobility Needs to Be Rethought and Reorganised
		No Certainty of Outcome in the Transformation of the Mobility Culture
	Users Unwilling to Compromise
		Conclusions
	Conflict Between the Future, the Present and Potentiality
		Lack of Communication and Cooperation Between Users and Experts
		Problems with Acquisition and Diffusion
		The Electric Car Can Be Interpreted in Different Ways
	Radical or Incremental Innovation?
		Serious Innovation Factor: Users
6: “Focus Battery”
	Introductory Remarks
		The Electric Car in the 20-Year Cycle
		The “Rügen Experiment”
	Little Progress in Battery Development
		Technical Developments
		Conversion Design Versus Purpose Design
		The High-Temperature Battery in Conversion Design
	Motors and Their Layout in Electric Vehicles
		Direct Current Versus Three-Phase Current Drive
		“Cost Driver” Torque
		Motor Layouts
	State of Development of Batteries
		Primary Versus Secondary Batteries
		Increase in Power Density
		The Challenge of Fire Hazards
	100 Years of Battery Technology Without a Breakthrough
		The Practical Usefulness of Electrically-Powered Vehicles
	From Electric to Hybrid Vehicles
		Comparing the Mass of the Drive Systems
		The Ratio of Battery Mass to Range
		The Relationship Between Battery Mass and Range
	The Spectrum of Applications for Electric Vehicles
	Field of Application: Commuter Vehicle
		Necessity of High Driving Performance
		The “Ecological Backpack” of the Electric Car
	Leisure Time
	Great Potential as Vehicles for Leisure Purposes
		Use as Commercial Vehicles
	Car Sharing
		Usefulness of Electric Vehicles in Car Sharing
		Utilization Doubled Due to One-Way Car Sharing
	Conclusion
		No Replacement of Existing Vehicle Drives by Electric Motors
7: In Place of an Afterword
	Harmonising Knowledge and Actions
	Gain in Quality of Life
	Loss of Relationship as a Result of Abstract Technology
	Being a Passenger as a Gain in Quality of Travel
	New Forms of Mobility
	Liberation from Dependence: The Car as a Mental Infrastructure
Bibliography
Newspaper and Magazine Articles