The vehicle was made possible by the Green Trail Project, which is part of Neoenergia's Research, Development and Innovation (PDI) program, an initiative that is expanding electric mobility in the archipelago.

The Fernando de Noronha archipelago will receive the first 100% electric buggy manufactured in Brazil. The prototype is part of the Green Trail Project, an initiative of Neoenergia's Research, Development and Innovation Program (PDI), which is expanding electric mobility by adding 14 electric vehicles to the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The vehicles will be destined for the local tourist market to be rented out to tourists, and their technical and economic viability will be assessed.

The first fully electric buggy in Brazil was developed by eION, a startup based in Curitiba (PR). As a proponent of the project, Neoenergia is accompanying its development from conception and prototype to commercialization, participating in test drives and suggesting improvements. The vehicle seats five people, weighs 1,000 kilos and has a 7.6 kWh battery, with a range of up to 100 kilometers. The vehicle can be charged at a power station or via a standard 20 amp socket.

The buggy has a top speed of around 70 km/h, reaching 60 km/h in around 11 seconds. With disc brakes on all four wheels and a five-position seat belt, it was designed to provide comfort and safety for the user. "This buggy is the first and only 100% electric buggy to be manufactured in Brazil. Until the conclusion of the Green Trail Project in December of this year, we will analyze its use in detail, as well as its positive points and areas for improvement," said Roberto Boquetti, technical manager of the Green Trail project.

All the Green Trail vehicles are powered by clean energy, generated by two solar plants installed by Neoenergia in Fernando de Noronha. The two plants have a power of 100 kWp and their supply capacity is approximately three times greater than the need to charge the project's vehicles, the surplus of which will be injected into the distribution network, expanding the use of renewable sources by local consumers. To enable the use of clean energy even at times when there is not enough solar generation, an energy storage system with a capacity of 100 kW/215 kWh has also been installed.

The electric vehicles have been incorporated into the island's main economic activities, such as the tourist trade, district administration and Neoenergia's own operations. The information collected will be submitted to feasibility assessments of the business models and, subsequently, a guide map will be drawn up for future actions related to electric mobility in Fernando de Noronha. In this sense, Trilha Verde will also benefit local entrepreneurs and public authorities. The project is in line with State Law 18.233/23, known as Noronha Carbono Zero, which bans the circulation of gasoline, diesel and ethanol-powered cars on the island from 2030.

Twelve ecoposts are being installed at strategic points on the island and made available to all electric cars on the archipelago. There are eight recharging points with a power of 22 kW, which enables faster recharging, and another two with a power of 7.4 kW. The last two units support V2G (vehicle-to-grid), which has a bidirectional flow, meaning that the vehicle can use the station for recharging or to "return" unused energy, such as during periods of high demand from the grid. These stations will be supplied entirely with clean energy, provided by the photovoltaic generation of the two new solar plants.

The sustainability actions are part of Neoenergia's Research, Development and Innovation Program (PDI), regulated by the National Electric Energy Agency (Aneel), in partnership with the Government of Pernambuco, Renault, WEG, the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), IATI, CPqD, eiON and Incharge. "The PDI Program, regulated by Aneel, is an important public policy that contributes to the development of national technology," says José Antônio de Souza Brito, manager of Neoenergia's Corporate Research, Development and Innovation Department.

Noronha Sustainable Energy Program

The Green Trail Project is part of Neoenergia's Noronha Sustainable Energy Program, which includes a set of actions that bring together sustainable mobility, technological innovation and the expansion of non-polluting energy sources. The plan, which relies on a clean and reliable business model, includes an international agreement with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Part of the initiatives also resulted from a technical cooperation agreement signed between Neoenergia and the State Government, establishing commitments in the areas of energy efficiency, R&D, renewable energies and electric mobility.

Neoenergia aims to promote a more sustainable mobility model among its corporate commitments, with the aim of contributing to decarbonization. One of its main initiatives is the Green Corridor, the largest electric road in the Northeast, with a length of 1,100 kilometers between Salvador (Bahia) and Natal (Rio Grande do Norte).

All these initiatives are also in line with UN Sustainable Development Goals 7 (clean and affordable energy), 9 (innovation industry and infrastructure), 11 (sustainable cities and communities) and 17 (partnerships and means of implementation).

More Neoenergia in Noronha

The Fernando de Noronha archipelago has two more solar photovoltaic plants installed by Neoenergia. The renewable energy plants have an installed capacity of approximately 1 megawatt (MWp). All the initiatives are aimed at reducing the dependence on biodiesel generation from the Tubarão Plant, which is currently essential in an isolated system like Noronha.

In order to encourage the circulation of electric vehicles on the island, Neoenergia has had a car powered exclusively by solar energy on Fernando de Noronha since 2015. The result of Neoenergia's Research and Development (R&D) Program, the car is fueled at an ecopost whose roof is made up of photovoltaic panels.