Someone who grew up in Latin America is likely no stranger to traffic jams and smog. That is why, while the use of electric vehicles (EVs) in Latin America is limited, Adalberto Maluf of the Brazilian Association of Electric Vehicles (ABVE) believed its reach will extend.

Given its urban benefits, Maluf believed that EVs will take on the roads of Latin America after a pandemic economic recovery.

Maluf said the shift towards a green economy will be a major investment in getting Latin America's economy back on its feet. He called the transition towards a green economy an "agenda for the future," reported the Inter Press Service.

Some European countries have also decided to move towards a green economy.

Maluf is also the director of BYD, the world's biggest manufacturer of purely electric vehicles.

The Green Ambition

In October 2019, former President Evo Morales showed Bolivia's take on an EV, produced by local firm Quantum Motors.

The Wilson Center reported that the car is less likely to be sold on a commercial level, but it shows the ambition of some governments in Latin American to promote the production and adoption of EVs.

Out of the 6.3 million cars bought by Latin Americans in 2018, about 3,555 of them were EVs or hybrid cars. But forecasts done before the coronavirus pandemic showed an expected increase in the sales of hybrids and EVs in the region.

An increase of about triple to the 2018 data is expected by 2025.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) most likely lowered these expectations but Latin America would still experience thrice the amount of car ownerships by 2050, the report said. This gives the region's government a chance to expand on EV production and ownership.

There are really efforts to popularize EVs. An early success story is that of Mexico, Latin America's best auto producer.

The country gave half of the region's growth in EV sales in 2018. That is because the government gave incentives to persuade consumers into giving EVs a try.

For example, in the smoggy Mexico City, charging EVs comes at a lower price and the EVs are exempted from limits on some approved driving days.

Boosting Green Investments

Cities like Mexico City, Medellín and Santiago raised heath related concerns from the pollution caused by non-EVs to COVID-19 in smog.

As part of the relief effort, not only can EVs lower carbon emissions in the highly polluted Latin American cities, the effort can also make green jobs as the region shifts into a green economy, said the UN Environment Programme.

Using EVs can lower costs and increase efficiency, making them a worthy investment for the region.

Chile stands out with its fleet of electric buses. It is the largest set of EVs in the region, with more than 400 unites. Colombia is also expected to have about 500 electric buses in its capital, Bogotá.


Air Pollution Improved Since Lockdowns

Leo Heileman, UNEP Regional Director in Latin America and the Caribbean, said the region had seen reduced city air pollution due to lockdowns, but added that the improvements will only be for now.

"We must undertake a structural change so that our transportation systems contribute to the sustainability of our cities," he noted.

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