Electric vehicle market grows 47% in Brazil, surpassing 100,000 vehicles

Brazil has surpassed the 100,000 hybrid and electric vehicles mark for the first time. In the first half of the year, 47 percent more vehicles of this type were sold than in the same period of 2021, according to the advisor of the Brazilian Association of Electric Vehicles (ABVE), Carlos Augusto Serra.

“These are very good figures, but we represent only a small part of the world’s population, considering that by the end of this year, there will be an estimated 30 million electric vehicles in the world. We still have a long way to go,” he told Xinhua.

The organization announced on July 26 that the South American country has 100,292 electric or light hybrid vehicles on the road, mainly due to a significant increase in sales in 2022.

Between January and June of this year, 20,427 light hybrid and electric vehicles were sold, compared to 13,899 in the same period of 2021.

Despite the increase, Serra said the government needs to take more action on electric mobility, with lower taxes for the sector and more opportunities for drivers to charge their vehicles.

“We currently have about 1,500 electric columns in the country’s main cities and highways, but that’s still not enough for a country like Brazil,” he said, adding that the forecast is to reach 3,000 charging points by the end of the year and about 10,000 in three years.

Another problem Serra pointed out is the complex tax system and the fact that subsidies are often “measures to reduce distortions” in a system that is not efficient because it still promotes old technologies based on fossil fuels and low-tech vehicles.

The future of mobility, the ABVE consultant said, will be electric, autonomous, and connected, with digital systems linking cars, cell phones, and the entire infrastructure of homes and cities.

While electric or hybrid cars are still more expensive than gasoline or diesel vehicles, the difference is in the cost, as a kilometer of driving in an electric or hybrid vehicle is about six times cheaper than in a gasoline vehicle, according to ABVE’s calculations.

With information from Xinhua

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