Promoting Sustainability Through e-vehicle Procurement: Experiences from Three Continents

By favouring innovative solutions that serve sustainability goals, sustainable procurement can aid in mitigating the negative externalities of mobility. However, a deeper understanding of the sustainable mobility procurement processes, and the potential pitfalls and best practices in the global scale is still lacking. To address this shortcoming, we conducted a qualitative study on e-vehicle procurement, drawing on interview and survey responses of procurers involved in a project aiming to promote urban electric mobility in various urban areas across the globe (EU SolutionsPlus project). Based on the responses, sustainability strategies and goals are widely adopted in cities across the globe, while differences arise in how these strategies are incorporated into regulatory frameworks and procurement guidelines. The results suggest that having flexibility in the procurement process supports collaboration with the suppliers, and the acquisition of suitable solutions for the given context.