After months of significant increases around the world, fuel prices have finally been showing successive reductions in recent weeks. The strong impacts caused by the period of record prices, however, contributed to the increased interest in a type of vehicle that, in Brazil, still showed a slight increase in demand since the beginning of its commercialization: electric vehicles.
Although the effects of climate change are increasingly present, the strong sustainable appeal of electric vehicles has not been enough to leverage the search for this type of vehicle in Brazil, at least until now. It should be noted, however, that the high investment required for the acquisition of these vehicles, the still little diversity in the offer and the concern with autonomy and possible inconveniences regarding recharges were important obstacles to the advancement of this technology, especially with the economic instability experienced in the country. Brazil since 2015.
Even though obstacles are present, the recent peak period in fuel prices, as previously mentioned, has shown the advantages of electric vehicles, mainly regarding opportunities for savings in the medium/long term. For the transport sector, for example, this migration would represent a considerable reduction in expenses, given that diesel accounts for around 46% of transport costs.
Regarding this, in the field of logistics, there has been a significant increase in news that address the development and sale of new electric trucks and the electrification of the fleet of large companies and logistics operators, indicating that interest in this market may gain more and more stronger in the coming years. According to data released by the National Association of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (ANFAVEA), the total number of license plates for electric trucks and buses in the first half of 2022 (177) surpassed the total number of plates issued for these vehicles throughout 2021 (32).
In this context, Mercedes-Benz, a manufacturer already consolidated by the sale of diesel trucks since the 60s, has invested in the gradual electrification of its vehicles, with an eye on the prospects of increased demand for this type of vehicle. Introduced in 2016 and with a range of up to 400 km, the 100% electric truck eActros was launched in 2021 and its version with greater autonomy (eActros LongHaul) is already in development. In addition, Tesla, one of the largest electric vehicle manufacturers in the world, has been moving to deliver the Semi electric truck announced a few years ago (at the time, the ad was addressed in a post prepared by Henrique Alvarenga). With production scheduled for 2023, Tesla has arrived to release the pre-sale for a brief period earlier this year. Yet another major automaker, MAN (belonging to the Volkswagen Group), announced this year the advance, to 2024, of the production of previously announced electric trucks.
Figure 1: Automakers have increasingly invested in the electrification of large vehicles. Source: Mercedes-Benz | Disclosure.
In addition to fuel savings, companies that have invested in the electrification of their fleets also have the benefit of linking their brands to sustainable initiatives, which are increasingly valued by contractors. In the transport sector, the DHL, an important logistics operator, recently announced the acquisition of 40 new electric trucks, emphasizing the ecological gains with this operation: an estimated reduction of 22 thousand tons of carbon dioxide in 30 years. Another company that in recent days announced a similar initiative was the food giant In the evening , which is going to expand its fleet of refrigerated vehicles to 200 trucks by the beginning of 2023, with the promise of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Apparently, the era of electric vehicles in logistics has finally begun, but it is worth noting that, as explained by the president of the Brazilian Association of Electric Vehicles (ABVE) when Estadão, government policies are needed to encourage initiatives that promote sustainable development – such as the electrification of freight vehicles – to accelerate this movement.
References:
– Blog do Trucker – DHL invests in 40 new electric trucks
– State of S. Paulo – Electric and gas trucks and buses have an 840% increase in sales in the first half
– State of S. Paulo – Diesel high makes transporter target management and electric and gas trucks
– State of S. Paulo – Brazil moves towards complete electrification of freight vehicles
– State of S. Paulo – Mercedes-Benz presents eActros electric truck for medium distances
– State of S. Paulo – Tesla Semi, Elon Musk's electric truck, has pre-sale for R $ 732 thousand
- Exam - Seara announces a fleet of 100% electric trucks until January
- IG - Tesla releases updated images of semi electric truck
– ILOS – SEMI: Tesla's electric truck
– UOL – Mercedes-Benz Wörth: truck factory from 1963 now focuses on electric
– UOL – MAN accelerates and anticipates its electric trucks for 2024
