SOCIO-ECONOMIC BARRIERS AND DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES OF ELECTROMOBILITY AS KEY TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION OF TRANSPORTATION

Sa？etak Electromobility is currently the most dynamic and developing technological innovation in the field of the passenger and freight transportation. Key aspects of its dynamic development include especially the operational costs of electric vehicles and the ecologization of transportation by using electric-drive vehicles. For the above-mentioned key aspects, the more massive increase in the use of electromobility is recorded especially in the field of “city logistics”. Our research activities are dedicated to identifying barriers and opportunities of sale promotion and using of electric vehicles by conventional transport users. Consumers consider many factors when buying a car, but in terms of the automotive market, purchasing power of the population and marketing support of electromobility in the Slovak Republic, the aspect of ecology of transportation and long-term cost efficiency are not the primary criteria for their decision-making process. We conducted primary quantitative pre-research by inquiry method via standardized online questionnaire that addressed some topics: (1) consumer interest in environmental protection; (2) consumer awareness and knowledge about electromobility; and (3) consumer buying behaviour in the context of electromobility development. Based on the results of consumer pre-research and analysis of legislative, economic and social conditions, the aim of this paper is to identify barriers and possibilities for development of electromobility and to suggest recommendations for the automotive industry (manufacturers and retailers of electric vehicles, associations of electromobility, companies providing electric vehicle services (charging stations), government institutions and the non-profit sector