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Electrified vehicles are expected to grow by 60% and exceed 150,000 vehicles in 2024 and that public or semi-public charging points will reach 10,000.
In an interview with pv magazine , the president of the Brazilian Association of Electric Vehicles (ABVE), Ricardo Bastos, stated that the association expects a 60% increase in registrations this year compared to 2023 figures, which reached 93,927. units , breaking all historical records, exceeding the most optimistic forecasts and reaching 150 thousand units sold. In addition, the electromobility sector should benefit from the domestic manufacturing of electrified vehicles in new factories owned by the Chinese giants GWM and BYD, in addition to trends such as the growth of the network of charging stations and public fast charging points, among others. .
According to Bastos, the electrified market will continue at an intense pace even with the increase in import taxes announced by the federal government starting in January. “At this point, electric vehicle manufacturers should not pass on the tax increase to the consumer and will rely on promotions or offer zero interest rates and good financing conditions. That is, this price increase is diluted in the fees. Furthermore, the next increase – between 20% and 25% – is already known to everyone and is scheduled for June. This way, even with stocks at lower prices, manufacturers will not feel the real impact until the end of the year,” he explains.
Proof of this is that the Chinese manufacturer GWM announced last Friday that its 100% electric model, the ORA 03 Skin, will be sold at a price without a tax increase and zero interest rate for the financing option of 50% down payment. and 24 installments with the possibility of incorporating the purchase of a WEG Wallbox charger into the financing. The promotion also includes free recharge during 2024 at more than 1,000 stations throughout Brazil, through vouchers.
Chinese giants bet on local manufacturing
According to the president of ABVE, both GWM and BYD should accelerate plans for national manufacturing of electric vehicles in search of tax exemption and focusing on exports to Latin America.
While GWM prepares to take advantage of the former Mercedes-Benz factory, in Iracemápolis, in the interior of São Paulo, for local manufacturing with an imminent launch, BYD will soon begin to install its production infrastructure in the factory deactivated by Ford, in Camaçari , Bahia, whose launch is scheduled for early 2025.
“Local manufacturing sends a very strong message that helps convince the consumer, who understands that electrified technology is real and will be produced here in Brazil, with all the local support and guarantee,” explains Bastos.
Electric vehicle charging infrastructure in the country
The growth in the market share of electrified vehicles fueled the advancement of charging stations in the country. The number of public charging stations grew by 28% in Brazil between January and August, according to data from ABVE/Tupinambá. In December 2022, the country had 2,955 charging points and ended 2023 with 3,800. The entitys estimate for this year is that the number of public or semi-public positions will reach 10 thousand units.
To have an idea of ??the investments that are being made in charging stations, the Raízen group company dedicated to the area of ??renewable energies, announced in the first half of December the acquisition of the entire electric vehicle charging network from the startup Tupinambá Energy. Investment in the company began in 2022, with an investment of 10 million reais ($2 million) and, most recently, it purchased the 204 Tupinambá electric car charging stations in Brazil. The points are alternating current (AC) and are part of the companys strategy to expand its network of charging stations, which already includes fast charging (DC) devices.
According to Raízen, the idea is to increase the electric vehicle charging network to more than 600 additional points, from 7.4 to 22 kW of power, in the medium term. The company already has established plans to install new points in states in the South, Central-West and Northeast.
Electromobility in Brazil is massively concentrated in the state of São Paulo, with a share of 35% of registrations (17,349, out of a total of 49,052), until August of last year. ABVE indicates that Rio de Janeiro and Santa Catarina occupy the second and third positions, with 3,749 and 3,374 registrations, respectively, in the period.
Despite the concentration in the capitals, cities such as Anápolis, Goiás, (1,396) and Campinas, in São Paulo, (1,067) occupy 6th and 7th place in the ranking of the 30 cities with the highest number of electric car registrations in the term.
Electromobility market trends in Brazil
In addition to the national manufacturing of electrified vehicles, according to the president of ABVE, other trends should further strengthen the market in Brazil. “We see the growth of the network of power stations and public fast charging points, as well as the infrastructure of buildings and homes with the growth of self-generation of energy, especially with solar energy systems. People ask how can I improve my energy consumption?. And the car is a great instrument, especially because powering a combustion car today is not cheap,” says the executive.
Other companies have been innovating in the area of ??insurance for electric vehicles. The insurance market is gradually adapting to electrified vehicle models, including offering the same coverage that is already available for combustion vehicles, in addition to developing new services and specific coverage for batteries, for example, since they represent a large part of the current cost of insurance.
“Manufacturers have been working with insurers to assume battery risks. Because even in the event of a major collision with battery damage, it is not necessary to automatically recycle the equipment, as it is possible to replace the damaged cells. Electric vehicle batteries should not be a factor of concern and consumers are gradually understanding that they are a component of the car, like an engine, and that if they need to be changed or replaced, this will be done under balanced conditions, whether the insurance or manufacturers warranty,” he explains. |
