Brazil’s EV infrastructure growing on public, private support
To support the evolution to hybrid and electric vehicles (EV) in Brazil, both the public and private sectors are carrying out several recharging infrastructure projects in 2020 which will change the face of the market.
For one, Volvo Car is starting the year with approximately 250 EV charging stations and the company intends to reach 500 by December.
The automaker, which has an agreement with shopping center chain Iguatemi and supermarket chain Pão de Açúcar, assures that its charging network is compatible with any car that complies with the European charging standard.
Meanwhile, BMW is also building a recharging network. It currently has at least 180 EV charging points throughout the country. Through partnerships with large companies such as local gasoline station network Ipiranga and by way of its own initiative, they are strategically located at supermarkets, shopping malls, and petrol stations.
BMW-built recharging station (source: BMW)
Moreover, for regional coverage, the São Paulo unit of Portugal-based electric energy company EDP is currently installing 30 rapid EV chargers along São Paulo state highways. According to Brazilian paper Folha, they are ultra-fast chargers able to reach 80% recharging in less than 30 minutes and can service three cars simultaneously.
The 32.9mn-real (US$8.14mn) project is being done in partnership with OEMs Volkswagen, Audi, and Porsche, multinationals Siemens and ABB, and São Paulo-based Electric Mobility Brasil.
To be completed by year-end 2020, it will compliment an existing network of 34 charge points spread throughout the neighboring states of Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo and Paraná, giving motorist 2,500km of driving range in the region.
The EDP project is one of 30 proposals under the 464mn-real Efficient Electric Mobility Solutions program put together by Brazil’s electric energy regulator Aneel. While 392mn reais is coming from the regulator’s research and development program, the remaining 72mn reais is coming from energy companies, the paper said.
Besides EDP, other companies supporting the program are São Paulo-based energy company CPFL which is installing chargers along the Bandeirantes and Anhanguera highways and Paraná-based Copel which is building a 730km recharging network between the port of Paranaguá and the city of Foz do Iguaçu.
Last but not least, there are other players contributing to growth of EV infrastructure in the country. Besides construction companies installing chargers in parking spots located in new building structures, startups such as Zletric are also improving parking facility infrastructure.
Zlectric currently has 50 stations at parking facilities in state capitals Porto Alegre (Rio Grande do Sul) and Florianópolis (Santa Catarina), and it is planning to install another 400 by year-end 2020.
Keep in mind that approximately 80% of EVs are recharged at homes. Zlectric, along with several other providers, have a portfolio of rechargers for both home and office use.
Considering data from local electric vehicle association ABVE in 3Q19, Brazil was on route to registering approximately 6,500 EVs in 2019. A vast majority of them are light vehicles for commercial use.
Photo: Itaipu Binacional's fleet of full-electric Renault Zoe vehicles in Paraná, Brazil (source: Itaipu)
