Härtill 2 uppsatser

Licentiatavhandling (sammanfattning) Göteborg : Chalmers tekniska högskola, 2024

While some literature incorporates a local energy systems perspective in energy transition analyses, describing these transitions as context-specific processes, this local perspective is often overlooked in existing studies on road transport decarbonization. This raises the question of how to address this transition locally.This thesis, by developing and applying a new framework – participatory energy systems modeling – aims to evaluate road transport decarbonization at the local level. Specifically, it investigates the influence of socio-geographical contexts and their specific characteristics on the decarbonization of road transport, with a particular focus on passenger cars. The proposed framework advances an Energy Systems Optimization Model (ESOM) that integrates local spatial dynamics by assessing different local modeling scenarios. These scenarios stem from a participatory approach (PA), where pathways are developed based on discussions with local stakeholders, such as municipal officials. The significance of local spatial dynamics is further explored by comparing the evolution of the passenger cars system at both the national (i.e., country) and local (i.e., municipality) levels, as well as in urban and non-urban municipalities. At the national level and within urban contexts, where annual average mileages and trip distances are typically low, the model tends to favor vehicles with lower upfront costs. Conversely, in non-urban contexts with longer trip distances, the emphasis shifts towards vehicles that enhance fuel economy and low fuel cost, despite their higher upfront purchase costs. Furthermore, the analysis of the modeled local scenarios emphasizes the importance of fleet electrification.