In response to the growing demand for sustainability, green technologies have been introduced. However, for these technologies to break through, existing business models must be innovated, and established ecosystems may need to be transformed. Moreover, innovation ecosystems arise and evolve to deliver both economic and sustainability benefits. Our article delves into the intricate transformation of an ecosystem to electrify truck and bus systems in a highly uncoordinated setting, influenced by historical forces. Through an in-depth case study, we examine the underlying factors that have made this transformation challenging in the face of a radical technological shift. Our findings highlight two opposing dynamics: a void and overcrowdedness, which have both contributed to inertia blocking the desired ecosystem transformation for sustainability in both cases. While value capture ambiguity has led to an overcrowded scene in the electric bus case, value creation, and value capture ambiguities have left a void surrounding a key position in the ecosystem in the electric truck case. These results suggest that business model ambiguities interact with ecosystem transformation, and resolving them is vital to shaping future ecosystems. Our findings have significant implications for works of literature on ecosystems and business models.
