This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: A new study conducted by the Climate Action Research Lab (CARL) at the University of Freiburg finds that electric cars and photovoltaic systems are less widespread on average in municipalities with strong support for Alternative for Germany (AfD). The researchers also examined how changes in political support within the same municipalities over time affect subsequent adoption of these technologies.
They found that an increase in the AfD's share of the vote is followed by relatively slower adoption of electric cars and photovoltaic systems. The technologies continue to spread, but at a slower rate. The work is published in the journal Nature Sustainability.
"The key point of our study is not only that low-emission technologies are adopted to varying degrees in regions with different political profiles," says Dr. Moritz Wussow, director of CARL. "We also demonstrate that changes in political support are linked to the subsequent rate of technology adoption.
Political polarization can therefore influence how quickly the energy transition reaches different segments of society." Surveys conducted as part of the study found that the further right respondents placed themselves on the political spectrum, the less willing they were, on average, to purchase electric cars or photovoltaic systems. The correlation was stronger for electric cars. The difference was particularly marked between supporters of the Greens and the AfD for electric cars: Green Party supporters were 227% more likely than AfD supporters to say they already owned an electric car or planned to purchase one.
The differences were less pronounced for photovoltaics. For AfD supporters, the probability of using solar panels or planning to purchase them was 18% lower than for a reference group with no preference for either the AfD or the Greens. This difference was not statistically significant.
For Green Party supporters, the corresponding probability was 35% higher than for the reference group. The study did not directly investigate why electric cars are more strongly politicized than photovoltaics. According to the researchers, one possible explanation is that cars are perceived more strongly as an expression of social and political identity.
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