Anuário Brasileiro do Setor de Locação de Veículos | 2021

150 Anuário Brasileiro do Setor de Locação de Veículos Brazilian Vehicle Rental Sector Yearbook 2021 FROTA ECOLÓGICA | ECOLOGICAL FLEET Electric cars in the leasing and rental sector F rom rental to long-term lease contracts, from private individuals to companies, electric vehicles are now available and represent innovation and environmental commitment, on track to end myths about performance, autonomy, practicality, and supply structure. The Movida and Unidas chains have positioned electric cars as an option in their fleets and bet on the demand for eco-friendly cars, which are no longer prototypes and are now on the roads in Brazil. The electric is going to scale production and to attract customers sensitive to the environmental issue also in the car leasing and rental sector. In an exclusive, one-year contract, at the end of 2020 Movida sealed a partnership with Nissan for the Leaf – a zero emissions, 100% electric car and the first of its kind on a large scale worldwide. The car is available for rental per day, monthly, or long-term lease, starting in the cities of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, with 50 and 20 vehicles, respectively. Jamyl Jarrus Junior, Movida’s commercial and marketing director, explains that the concept of sustainable urban mobility is part of the company’s DNA. It launched its Carbon Free program in 2009 and is on the B3 Corporate Sustainability Index (ISE), which includes sustainability and socio-environmental issues in its evaluations. The Movida executive stresses that the Nissan Leaf was tested worldwide before the partnership was signed up to. “We analyzed it and saw that it made sense to choose Nissan because of the vehicle’s history, its positioning as an innovative brand, and because Nissan is concerned about the environment, governance, and carbonization. It was a combination of values and affinity.” Sold in more than 50 countries, the Nissan Leaf, says Jarrus Junior, is an opportunity for Brazilians top experience this new option. “It is a real test drive and shows that, contrary to some myths, this car is robust, powerful, has a good range, speed and there is no mystery when it comes to driving it,” he says. On the charging, the Movida executive says there are apps showing charging points on major highways. Four years ago, Movida launched The Movida Volt – charging points at its stores for electric bikes used by customers who rent cars. Jarrus Junior says there is pent-up demand and envisions that as this type of vehicle will see an increase in production scale, and demand will be significant. For a better world - Companies and people who want electric cars or have a sustainable attitude towards a better world. This is the profile that Breno Davis, Head of Fleets and Projects at Unidas, identifies for these new vehicles. In November 2020, the chain partnered with Volkswagen to lease or rent the Golf GTE - the only plug- in hybrid hatchback - with a range of 50 kilometers, in purely electric mode. Its batteries can be recharged from a regular 220 volt point or wallbox device, with a minimum of 3.6 kW. To enhance customers’ experience with the innovation, the electric cars at Unidas will serve private individuals and companies in Brasilia, Curitiba and São Paulo. They will be made available throughout Brazil, exclusively in the Unidas Livre portfolio – the company’s subscription and fleet outsourcing service. The chain has more than 200 electric cars, including cargo vehicles and executive models for the corporate fleet, in addition to cars for daily rental. The Unidas executive believes that it will take about another five years for this market to mature. “We will be the vector of electric cars in Brazil, actively participating in this transformation in mobility,” says Breno Davis. “We will acquire a considerable volume of product from some automakers and take on the mission of distributing to the market, in our various channels.” On charging electric vehicles, Davis says the solution for Unidas was to partner with EDP, a company in the electricity sector. This led to EDP installing hundreds of recharging points in public places in the country’s main cities.