Conflicting narratives in car pathways: a case study of Italian stakeholders’ framings of the automotive low-carbon transition

Frame of the research. The pathways of low-carbon automotive transition are still uncertain. Different stakeholders’ framing influences the success of the solutions identified by regime or niche actors. Purpose of the paper. This study aims to uncover stakeholders’ framing of the low-carbon transition in the automotive sector, with specific attention to servitization alternatives. Methodology. We carried out a content analysis of the news articles published between 2020 and 2024 in major Italian newspapers: Corriere della Sera, ANSA financial news, ANSA business, and Milano Finanza. Results. We found two broad narratives, one about the mobility transition within the urban areas and another about the automotive perspective. Depending on the actor and time, stakeholders’ views can differ. Even though electric car sales dominate the public discourse, other narratives emerged: a discourse surrounding car rental and electric scooter sharing. Research limitations. The analysis is limited to a specific case study and should be extended to a broader context. In addition, the analysis is limited to national newspapers included in the Nexis Uni database. Managerial implications. These results suggest that mobility servitization is gaining legitimacy in public discourse and that if automotive incumbent firms continue delaying the transition, the regime might be destabilized and transformed by other actors. Originality of the paper. While previous research mainly analyses the narratives about technical solutions of automotive low-carbon transition, we broaden the focus to alternative business models.