Int. J. Automotive Technology and Management, Vol. 18, No. 3, 2018 247 Copyright © 2018 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd. Innovative mobility in rural areas – the case of the Black Forest Guy Fournier* Institute for Industrial Ecology, Pforzheim University of Applied Sciences, Tiefenbronner Str. 65, 75175 Pforzheim, Germany Email: Guy.fournier@hs-pforzheim.de *Corresponding author Manuel Baumann Institut für Technikfolgenabschätzung und Systemanalyse (ITAS), Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT), Postfach 3640, 76021, Karlsruhe, Germany Email: manuel.baumann@kit.edu Johannes Gasde and Katharina Kilian-Yasin Pforzheim University of Applied Sciences, Tiefenbronner Str. 65, 75175 Pforzheim, Germany Email: gasjoh@hs-pforzheim.de Email: katharina.kilian-yasin@hs-pforzheim.de Abstract: Rural areas in Germany have a lack of well-structured local public transport systems and are still facing exodus. Furthermore, the German energy transition aims to bring inter alia 1 million electric vehicles (EVs) onto German roads by 2020. The aim of this paper is to analyse if innovative forms of EV-based mobility concepts can better meet the needs of rural communities and contribute to the German energy transition in a sustainable way. Specific mobility concepts were thus tested according to sustainability criteria within a government-funded pilot project in four small communities in the Black Forest. The collected data were used to calculate energy consumption, carbon footprint and costs of the local projects and to compare them with fossil fuelled propulsion systems. Surveys in combination with semi-structured interviews were conducted additionally to assess the social acceptance of EVs within the local population. It could be proven that EVs already represent socially and environmentally promising perspectives in rural areas. Nevertheless, the economic drawbacks of the presented mobility solution are currently still hindering an extensive spread of EVs. Keywords: electric vehicles; car sharing; mobility on demand; rural areas; sustainable mobility; energy transition; Germany. Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Fournier, G., Baumann, M., Gasde, J. and Kilian-Yasin, K. (2018) ‘Innovative mobility in rural areas – the case of the Black Forest’, Int. J. Automotive Technology and Management, Vol. 18, No. 3, pp.247–269.