There is a New Road in Town

Abstract: This master thesis explores commercialization of electric road systems in urban environments, using a combined methods approach, in contrast to previous studies that have focused on long haul transportation. First, through interviews and document gathering, a stakeholder map was constructed, and the incentives of the identified stakeholders were analyzed. The thesis found disagreements between the stakeholders regarding the division of ownership and responsibility. Also, largescale cooperation between stakeholders was found to be crucial for large scale deployment. Second, using data from the interviews and insights from the stakeholder analysis, an interesting case was found. In collaboration with the Stockholm public transport authority, electrifying bus line 4 in Stockholm using Elonroad electric road systems was investigated. The case showed that switching from combustion engines to electric road systems would be financially viable as well as provide environmental benefits. In the case, buses in public transport are shown to be a promising pilot to test the electric road system and show that it can be profitable in practice. The case also illustrates how finding a suitable first user can enable commercializing of systemic innovation. This master thesis was written under the guidance of the Lund University, Faculty of Engineering, Division of Production Management, and the electric road supplier Elonroad.