RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Traveling by a fully electric bus is now possible in Brazil: Embarca, a ticket sales startup with investments from Expresso Princesa dos Campos, will start testing the novelty for 90 days.
For now, the model developed together with Chinese BYD and Brazilian Marcopolo – which manufacture the chassis and bodywork, respectively – will only run a route between Curitiba and Ponta Grossa in the state of Paraná.
With a 44-passenger capacity, the new BYD D9F, with Viaggio 1050 bodywork, can travel up to 300 km without a recharge. In other words, more than enough to cover the 118 km between the two cities and return.
Should the batteries require recharging midway, the whole process may take up to four hours, although brakes also retrieve energy.
According to the E-bus Radar monitor prepared by Labmob and the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Brazil is currently the world’s 4th largest e-bus market – and it is worth noting that this type of vehicle is equivalent to 3 passenger cars in terms of occupancy. According to the National Electric Mobility Platform report, the figure is expected to grow further by 2030.
The trial runs will begin on August 24 and, according to Embarca’s estimate, should extend until November 22.
Expresso Princesa dos Campos’ CEO Gilson Barreto says the trial is essential to assess the feasibility of a new process in road transport and will be a milestone for the Curitiba region, long recognized for its urban mobility projects.