São Paulo – From September 21 to 23, the city of São Paulo will host the 13th Latin American Auto Show of Hybrid-Electric Vehicles. For the first time, the event will organize a matchmaking to gather the sector’s manufacterers and clients that are interestered in this type of transportation technology.
Ricardo Guggsberg, the CEO of the Brazilian Association of Electric Vehicle, explains that this is a young market in Brazil. The country, he says, has only 4,700 electric or hybrid vehicles.
None of these vehicles are assembled in Brazil, with the models being imported. Among the automakers that sell one or more hybrid or electric vehicles in Brazil are Ford, Toyota, BMW, Renault, Nissan, Mitsubishi and Kia.
Regarding bus manufacturing, Brazil has three assembly lines of hybrid or electric buses, owned by Volvo, Eletra and BYD. The latter also imports these types of vehicles, explains Guggisberg. It’s also possible to buy in the country electric bicycles and motorbikes.
Despite not polluting the environment, the prices of hybrid and electric vehicles are not all that attractive for these models to become consumer favorites. “They are 100% to 130% more expensive than a regular model,” explains Guggisberg, comparing models assembled for regular fuel to their non-polluting similar vehicles.
The savings, however, can come from other ways. “A user that would spend from BRL 800 (USD 257.20) to BRL 1,000 (USD 321.50) on gas now spends BRL 40 (USD 12.86) per month in energy,” illustrates the executive. The filling of a hybrid or electric model can be made via an electric station of the user’s home or even via a 220 volts outlet.
The price to install an electric station at home, according to Guggisberg, is near BRL 3,000 (USD 964.50). Meanwhile, the autonomy of these vehicles can reach near 400 km per charge in the new models.
“Brazil has the potential to strongly improve due to the country’s size and the purchasing power (of the population),” says Guggisberg on the non-polluting auto market. According to him, the country still “is building a regulation framework for the energy delivery,” what includes tax reduction such as the IPI (Tax on Manufactured Products). He expects this to be done until September and, then, the market can improve in Brazil.
The companies interested in taking part in the matchmaking at the 13th Latin American Auto Show of Hybrid-Electric Vehicles can register until September 15th. Guggisberg is expecting that the meeting will gather from 30 to 40 companies.
Quick info
13th Latin American Auto Show of Hybrid-Electric Vehicles
September 21 to 23
Where: Expo Center Norte
José Bernardo Pinto Vila Guilherme, São Paulo
To register to the matchmaking, click www.velatinoamericano.com.br/inscreva-se and choses the second option: Inscreva-se para a conferência
Registration price: BRL 1,580 (USD 507,97)
*Translated by Sérgio Kakitani
