the future of urban mobility passes through the eletric cars. They are the most sustainable alternatives to a fleet that uses fossil fuels to run. You eletric cars they have clean energy, are very quiet and rarely need maintenance. Even with so many pros, they still represent a tiny portion of the Brazilian fleet – just 0,007%, according to data from the National Traffic Department (Denatran).
The reduced number of trams on Brazilian roads – the total fleet is 103,38 million, with only 8.182 electric vehicles – can be attributed to three main factors: high prices, a scarce charging network and the lack of government incentives for the use of renewable energy.
Currently, the cheapest electric car in Brazil, marketed by large automakers, is the Renault Zoe, which costs from R$ 149,9, according to the French company's website. The higher value is due to the batteries of these vehicles, which, due to the scarce production, still cost a lot to be manufactured.
According to Pedro Mendes, director of operations at JAC Motors, the higher price of electric vehicles could be offset by government policies encouraging the use of renewable energy – as is already the case in the United States and in some European countries. In Norway, for example, 22% of vehicles are already electric. “In Brazil, we are still in our infancy when it comes to ecological awareness”, assesses Mendes.
Even so, JAC Motors bets that electric vehicles represent the future, both in the automotive market and in urban mobility. “We strongly believe in this and are investing in the product, so much so that we are the only assembler in Brazil to have a range of electric vehicles, and not just one”, highlights the director.
The statement concerns the launch of the automaker, for the second half of 2019, of five products for the Brazilian market – including pickup trucks and trucks. The most anticipated of them, however, is the iEV40, a compact SUV, with sales starting at R$153,5.
According to Mendes, iEV 40 is the most efficient electric car of the Brazilian market, consuming 13 kWh every 100 kilometers. “The savings for the final consumer are enormous. In 20 kilometers driven, the savings will be R$ 7,5, when compared to the expenses of a combustion car”, he argues.
bet on trams
Who is also betting on electric vehicles is Hitech Electric, a Brazilian company headquartered in Pinhais (PR). Conceived by mechanical engineer Rodrigo Contin, the brand sells 100% electric cars and trucks for less than $100.
Hitech Electric's current proposal is aimed mainly at companies and the government sector, which are the so-called early-adopters this market, that is, the public that, according to Contin, is more prepared to buy electric vehicles in Brazil.
“The biggest question is still the acceptance of the population. But, if compared to the acceptance of scooters and bicycles that recently debuted on the market, the result will be a tremendous success”, he believes.
Alternative for social inclusion
The Brazilian Cycloway believes that electric modes can act for social inclusion, is what defends Guilherme Hannud Filho, creator of the company's new businesses. “Someone needs to act for the benefit of millions of Brazilians who cannot afford to buy a car or even a motorcycle”, he says.
In this way, Cicloway produces and sells electric vehicles for displacement of one to up to five people, and also for transporting loads from 80 to 800 kilos. According to the creator, the value of these modes is ¼ when compared to a combustion vehicle, and the operating cost per kilometer traveled reaches 15% of what is spent by a diesel vehicle.
They are marketed, for example, scooters, tricycles, the so-called electric tuk tuk, which transport up to five people, with prices between R$ 7 and R$ 27, in addition to two-wheel and three-wheel motorcycles and special vehicles for waste collection. With the exception of motorcycles, these vehicles travel an average of 25 to 45 km/h, a speed considered ideal for public roads.
A novelty is the launch of 20 electric scooters for the Brazilian market. The scooter should be used, mainly, for individual displacement, to escape traffic jams and in integration with other modes of transport, such as subway stations and bus terminals. Scooters are also intended for young people under 18 years old, a population that already needs to travel, despite not being old enough to obtain a driver's license, and also for people who are unable to purchase a conventional vehicle. There are also security and delivery applications.
By: Beatriz Pozzobon, journalist, for the STOP Review
