Mercedes-Benz estimated this Wednesday (13) a demand for electric buses in Brazil of around 3,000 vehicles by 2024, most of them running on urban transport in the city of São Paulo, whose city hall intends to have 2,600 electrified vehicles in operation. until then.
For 2022, the brand expects a national market with demand for more than 1,000 electric buses.
The company should start assembling its first electric bus in Brazil at the end of this year, between November and December, said the sales director of the segment Walter Barbosa, to journalists.
With this, the company will begin to compete in the segment with Asian rivals that already operate in the country such as BYD and importers.
The Mercedes-Benz vehicle is called the EO500U and will reach the national market in 2023, with a range of 250 kilometers and a capacity for 84 passengers. Investment in the project totaled R$ 100 million.
The range can be extended to around 300 kilometers if two additional battery packs are added to the four that will come with the vehicle.
According to the executive, the electric bus will be able to recharge its batteries in 2.5 and 3 hours and will be equipped with two engines for a total of 340 horsepower. He did not say the value of the vehicle, but said an electric bus costs three to 3.5 times more than its diesel-powered version.
For the total bus market in Brazil this year, Barbosa estimated licenses of between 17,000 and 21,000 units, depending on the ability of factories to get around the problems with a shortage of auto parts that has affected the automotive sector for months.
From January to the end of June, bus sales in Brazil totaled 7,300 units, down 3% over a year earlier, according to data from the automakers association, Anfavea. Electric vehicles totaled 425 units.
In 2021, total bus sales in Brazil were 14 thousand units, practically stable over 2020.
“Last year was hard, with few customers able and willing to buy. This year is completely different, customers are wanting to buy”, said Barbosa.
Source: CNN Brasil
I am Sophia william, author of World Stock Market. I have a degree in journalism from the University of Missouri and I have worked as a reporter for several news websites. I have a passion for writing and informing people about the latest news and events happening in the world. I strive to be accurate and unbiased in my reporting, and I hope to provide readers with valuable information that they can use to make informed decisions.
