Market competition and the adoption of clean technology: Evidence from the taxi industry

B-Tier
Journal: European Economic Review
Year: 2025
Volume: 174
Issue: C

Authors (2)

Bajo-Buenestado, Raúl (Universidad de Navarra) Borrella-Mas, Miguel Ángel (not in RePEc)

Score contribution per author:

1.005 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

Environmental policies may be ineffective when firms lack incentives to adopt cleaner technologies due to their market power. This paper examines whether a competition shock in a concentrated industry can stimulate the adoption of policy-favored cleaner technologies. Using a unique panel dataset covering the universe of vehicles purchased by taxi drivers in Spain, we exploit the entry of ride-hailing platforms as a natural experiment to identify the impact on their vehicle choices. We find that increased competition led to a 30% surge in the adoption of electric-powered vehicles among taxi drivers. Back-of-the-envelope calculations suggest an overall reduction in CO2 emissions, highlighting the potential of competition policy to promote environmental sustainability while mitigating market power.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:eee:eecrev:v:174:y:2025:i:c:s0014292125000170
Journal Field
General
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-24