Sustainable Electromobility: Innovations in EV Charging Systems, Powertrain and Vehicle Technologies

Dear Colleagues,

The global transition toward electrified mobility is accelerating. As electric vehicles, e-bikes, and e-scooters become more widespread, there is a pressing need to examine not only vehicle-level innovations but also the broader infrastructure, energy systems, and sustainability dimensions that enable a scalable and responsible electromobility ecosystem. In this context, evaluating sustainable mobility requires both environmental and economic assessment, reflecting their inherent interdependence.

This Special Issue aims to collect high-quality original research articles, reviews, and case studies that explore the design, integration, and sustainability implications of EV charging systems, powertrain components, and the supporting infrastructure—contributing to a holistic understanding of how electric mobility can support sustainable development while also generating economic benefits.

We invite submissions addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

• Advanced charging technologies and infrastructure: fast charging, smart charging, wireless charging, bidirectional charging, charging site planning, renewable energy integration, and grid impacts.
• Energy storage systems, energy storage for the energy transition, energy storage for critical infrastructure, and combined and hybrid energy storage systems.
• Zero- and second-life battery use in vehicles with reduced power and energy requirements, as well as in stationary energy storage systems across various applications.
• Electric powertrain design and optimization: motors, inverters, energy efficiency of powertrain components, thermal management, reliability, materials, and manufacturing aspects.
• The life-cycle assessment (LCA), environmental impact, circularity, and resource efficiency of EV components and charging infrastructure.
• System-level sustainability: energy and resource footprint, carbon emissions over lifetime, integration with renewable energy sources, demand management, grid stability, and V2G/V2X potential.
• Socio-economic and policy aspects: regulatory frameworks, incentives, equity in access to charging infrastructure, cost-benefit analyses, business models, and societal impacts of large-scale EV deployment.
• Tools, models, and methodologies for measuring, quantifying, monitoring, and comparing the sustainability of electromobility systems.

We welcome original research articles, review articles, case studies, methodological papers, and short communications.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Anton Kersten
Dr. Manuel Kuder
Dr. Branko Ban
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.