Policy stimulation for the electric vehicle industry: An analysis of mainstream media discourse

Abstract

Motivated by the indisputable relevance of comprehensively understanding and portraying multiple facets of ongoing conversations on electric vehicles (EVs), we employ critical discourse analysis (CDA) to go beyond the how and why of these discussions and fathom the complex interplays and subtleties. Operationally, we inductively analyze 718 popular media articles published from 2020 through 2023 to distill four cumulative dimensions of the discourse on EVs: industry‐level enabling cues for EV adoption, economy‐level motivations and motivators, impediments to diffusion, and harbingers of change. These four dimensions are further unpacked into 16 themes to provide a more granular interpretation of media discourse on EVs. We provide an exhaustive perspective, navigating several macro and micro aspects to offer tangible theoretical and practical outcomes. In addition to creating a comprehensive point of reference for future research, the study offers substantial inputs for driving the policy agenda in terms of subsidies, start‐ups, and buy‐side barriers.