Tips for deploying your EV fleet in Latin America
The adoption of electric vehicles (EV) in corporate fleet is on the rise but you will certainly need to prepare yourself for hurdles, especially when dealing with the deployment of these vehicles in Latin America. Here are a few tips from fleet industry specialists in the region, all of which who will be speaking at the Fleet LatAm Conference 2023 in Mexico City.
Although each country has different degrees of EV deployment, Latin America in general faces challenges in terms of EV adoption, and this is mostly due to charging infrastructure. As for Nissan, it is looking for ways to foster EV adoption by way of new technologies, according to Luis Rubalcava (pictured left) who is Deputy Director of Fleet Sales for Nissan Mexico.
One way to foster this is through e-POWER, a unique technology by Nissan which brings all the benefits and excitement of an electric driven car, without the stress of worrying about recharging or having enough autonomy to face the roads of Latin America,” Mr. Rubalcava told Fleet LatAm.
“e-POWER is not only Nissan’s bet on fostering electromobility in the region, it is also a way to come closer to our purpose of enriching people’s lives,” the executive said.
Although there is not enough public access charging infrastructure in Latin America to allow fleets to recharge across long distances, the innovative business models of multinational EV charging company Blink Charging helps to create public charging corridors that enable fleets to achieve long routes, according to Patricia Baires (pictured right) who is the company’s Business Development Manager in Latin America.
“The main barrier in terms of achieving adequate EV adoption in Latin America is being able to create the ideal charging infrastructure for MIXED fleets,” Ms. Baires told Fleet LatAm, explaining that a single fleet could have various connectors such as type J1772 (American), type 2 (European) and Gbt (Asian), and that Blink Charging has the solution for each vehicle origin.
When it comes to light commercial vehicles – which includes buses, pickups, vans, trucks, and others – the penetration of EVs jumps to 10% within the first three years if you consider the history of fleet electrification in growing markets such as China, according to Leslie Tan (pictured left) who is co-founder of Singapore-based eLCV manufacturer Fest Auto.
The adoption rate of eLCVs for urban delivery is even faster, he said. “Penetration for eLCVs jumps to 30% within three years,” Mr. Tan told Fleet LatAm, adding that companies that offer last mile delivery and e-commerce services in urban areas are ideally suited to capitalize on the benefits of eLCVs today.
One factor which can certainly help push eLCV demand in Latin America is government incentive. For instance, the government of Costa Rica has defined tax free incentives which are helping to push eLCV demand in the country, In addition, more tailor-made options on eLCVs aimed at reducing total cost of ownership (TCO) for fleet operators are needed in Latin America. “Fleet managers first need to analyze requirements such as distance traveled per day, maximum speed, and the storage space they really need, and then find the appropriate product [vehicle] that will satisfy these requirements,” said Mr. Tan.
Besides choosing the right EV for your fleet, knowing how to shed your assets during the remarketing process is key. With concerns such as EVs being more expensive than internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles and problems such as a lack in charging infrastructure, government incentives, and public awareness which could impact demand, you can see that there are many obstacles to overcome.
To alleviate Fleet Managers’ headaches, multinational remarketing company Autorola has an auction process to help find the best buyers suited for specific types of vehicles such as EVs. “We publish EVs on our auction platform to get you the best offer in the market,” Autorola Mexico country manager Alfredo Hernandez Hamelberg (pictured right) told Fleet LatAm.
For insight on these and other topics as well as networking and benchmarking with your colleagues, peers, and competitors, don’t forget to reserve your ticket for the upcoming Fleet LatAm Conference in Mexico City taking place 25-26 September. For more information and registration, click here.
