This thesis seeks to understand the relationship between government influence and market forces pertaining to the introduction of new technologies in the market. The thesis will do this by utilizing electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) in California and Virginia as a historical analysis case study to determine the historical catalysts for change in the public EVSE market since its introduction in 1995. Comparing the rate of change to historical timelines for both states, "market tendencies" and "government involvement" played the greatest role in EVSE growth, with there being a distinct shift from "market tendencies" to "government involvement" over time. Results show that California has fully embraced the interventionist role, with state and local actors playing a part. Virginia, on the other hand, has just begun to allow state intervention, so much of the change in the state has come from economic or business events. Data shows, however, that this could be changing, and that Virginia could be on the verge of allowing for market intervention based on equitable development and future economic opportunity. / Master of Arts / The 21st century is ripe with innovative technologies and ideas that influence the future of the world, but not all these ideas are fully embraced in the private market. This thesis looks to understand the different roles that the government can play in assisting with the development of markets by analyzing the introduction of electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) for public use in California and Virginia. Using a historical-analytic approach, I gathered data on the rate of increase in EVSE and compared that to the historical timelines to determine the variables with the most influence. After identifying four "pivotal moments" in the timeline, I discovered that the major catalysts for change were "market tendencies" and "government involvement." Looking at the progression, I determined that there is a distinct trend shifting from market tendencies, at the beginning of the timeline, to government involvement in modern changes. Evidence shows that not only is this trend embraced in California, with many state and local bodies working on the issue, but it also shows that Virginia, the laggard of the two states, could be on the verge of straying from its ideals of "free markets" to embrace change.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:VTETD/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/110596 |
| Date | 09 June 2022 |
| Creators | Balch, Thomas Keith |
| Contributors | Political Science, Scerri, Andrew Joseph, Binev, Binio S., Schenk, Todd |
| Publisher | Virginia Tech |
| Source Sets | Virginia Tech Theses and Dissertation |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | ETD, application/pdf |
| Coverage | California, Virginia, United States |
| Rights | In Copyright, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
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