In order to contribute to decarbonization, the company is expanding the recharging infrastructure of electric vehicles in its areas of operation
The climate agenda imposes urgency in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Around the world, it is necessary to invest in the transition to a cleaner energy matrix, stimulating the electrification of the most polluting sectors, such as transport. In Brazil, Neoenergia has committed to encouraging sustainable mobility, aligned with its goal of contributing to the decarbonization of the economy. To this do so, the company is committed to an Electric Mobility Program that includes projects to expand the recharging infrastructure of electric vehicles and develop new solutions.
Besides being an option for sustainable development, electric mobility represents the emergence of new business models and, thus, job opportunities for the country. Although Brazil has not yet stand out among global leaders, which today are countries in Europe, the United States and China, it is a growing market. Despite the impacts of the covid-19 pandemic on the economy, in 2021, sales of electric vehicles increased 77% compared to 2020 and 195% compared to 2019, according to the Brazilian Electric Vehicle Association (ABVE).
"Neoenergia recognizes the importance of private companies and the electricity sector to drive this scenario of opportunities that can be created for the country with the development of electric mobility. That's why we've invested in several projects that have helped in innovation and the creation of new technologies, in addition to expanding the infrastructure that provides security for Brazilians to invest in the purchase of electric vehicles," says José Brito, Corporate Manager of Research and Development at Neoenergia.
One of the main initiatives of the company is the Green Corridor, electrovia with 18 charging points along 1,200 kilometers between Salvador (BA) and Natal (RN), passing through the cities of Aracaju (SE), Maceió (AL), Recife (PE) and João Pessoa (PB). Among these electropostos, six are located in shopping malls – Shopping da Bahia (Salvador), RioMar Shopping (Recife) and Natal Shopping (Natal) – and have already been released for use by the public in the experimental phase. The experiences of the project have already contributed to the realization of a series of trainings for professionals in the automotive market, with a training cycle that will allow them to act throughout the chain.
The Green Corridor is part of the R&D program, regulated by the National Electric Energy Agency (ANEEL). The 1st Brazilian Yearbook of Electric Mobility, launched in January by the National Electric Mobility Platform, showed that investments in R&D leverage the new technologies of the segment, representing 65% of the contributions. The study also pointed out that the automotive market in Brazil is one of the main in the world and that the country stands out in the production of vehicles and auto parts, which can enable the growth of electromobility.
The company is developing, in another R&D project, electric trucks for use in distribution network maintenance services. Another Neoenergia R&D project in electric mobility was started in Fernando de Noronha (PE). Integrating the set of actions of the Noronha Sustainable Energy Program, the company will encourage the expansion of electric mobility through the installation of recharge points supplied exclusively with solar energy from two photovoltaic plants that will be built on the island. Vehicles will be made available for the tourist trade, the district administration and the operation of Neoenergia Pernambuco, with the objective of evaluating the technical feasibility and business models in an isolated ecosystem.
Neoenergia has incorporated electric vehicles into its administrative fleet since March 2020. Altogether, there are 85 hybrid and 44 fully electric vehicles and the goal is that the entire fleet of light and administrative vehicles is completely replaced by 2030. Currently, there are electrostations in the company's administrative headquarters, located in the states of Bahia, Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Norte, São Paulo, Brasília and Rio de Janeiro. The recharge structure began to be expanded last year, with the Green Line project, an initiative aimed at installing stations in the operational bases, starting with two Territorial Distribution Units (UTDs) of Neoenergia Pernambuco and Neoenergia Cosern (RN).
Residential and business solutions
Expanding its business strategy, Neoenergia also started to offer electric vehicle recharge solutions for residential and business consumers. The electric mobility service provided by the company is present in eight states – São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Bahia, Sergipe, Alagoas, Pernambuco, Paraíba and Rio Grande do Norte – and in the Federal District and will soon be nationwide.
Two models of recharging stations are available, both with type 2 connector, the most widely used on the market. The equipment has Wi-Fi connection and the management of the electric vehicle charging can be done using an application on mobile, as is offered in Europe by Iberdrola, the controlling shareholder of Neoenergia. The available solutions meet various applications, with products of different configurations as required by the customer, including technical survey and installation that can be requested on the site:https://www.neoenergiacomercializacao.com.br/residencial/mobilidade-eletrica/Paginas/recarga-veiculo-eletrico.aspx
For users, one of the main advantages of electric vehicles is the economy. Today the autonomy of a fully electric vehicle – BEV, acronym for battery electric vehicle – is, on average, up to 400 kilometers. However, with the advance of technologies, the new models already allow traveling more than 400 kilometers. The yield of a combustion engine is around 30% while that of the electric motor is about 90%, depending on the model, in addition to the electric vehicle having less maintenance costs.