Edinburgh Napier University

  Electric mobility is enabling overall decarbonisation-targets by shaping a new, sustainable mobility. Related mobility behaviours are evolving rapidly and lead to fundamental changes within the respective infrastructure approaches. In doing so, public electrical charging is becoming a key prerequisite for the ramp-up of electric mobility. Yet there is still a lack of a nationwide public supply infrastructure in Germany because, at present, a profitable operation is not possible due to the volatile framework and low population. Hence, the comprehensive aim of this research project is the development of a sustainable business model for an electrical charging hub.

In order to define the parameters of an optimised business model, a mixed-measure approach was chosen. A combination of interviews, a survey questionnaire and a focus group-discussion integrate the field experts and their practical perspectives in the research. The literature analysis, especially, considers available benchmarking aspects. This primary data research and the literature analysis form the basis of a sustainable business model framework, to be developed in scope of this research project. It is not the purpose of this thesis to provide exact figures, but rather to contrive a framework with certain premises and estimations.

These wide-ranging mobility developments will also lead to innovative business models, which could transform mobility systems in the years to come. In particular, via the new “mobility-as-a-service-trend”, a recent concept is paving the way to provide one of the foremost solutions to today’s mobility challenges. Therefore, it seems that the possibilities for developing a sustainable charging station business, based on the keystone of future mobility, are definitely manifold. Main objective of this research project is to filter out how future mobility trends influence the business case of the future electrical mobility hub. The assertion is that the most promising approaches for charging station business cases are based on determined mobility behaviour. In this way, the so-called “chicken-egg-problem” between electric mobility rollout and charging infrastructure - as the key-enabler - could be solved. For this reason, anticipating customers’ new mobility preferences and requirements is of high importance. However, as is evident in this thesis, mobility-as-a-service is far from being achieved yet.

This research led to the empirical evidence that a sustainability focus can result in a profitable charging business model. However, this research is not only investigating a positive relationship between economic success factors and sustainable business models. The research is also demonstrating new business opportunities evolving in the field of electrical charging and mobility services, which would have remained invisible in a purely profit-oriented approach. Accordingly, the contribution builds upon business model perception and application unifying different sustainability dimensions and transferring the consolidated findings onto a conceptual levelling that facilitates more all-embracing interpretations.