University of São Paulo Study: Public Policy Gaps Hinder Bus Fleet Electrification in Brazil

According to the latest data from the E-BUS radar , the Brazilian electric bus fleet is behind other Latin American countries such as Chile, Colombia and Mexico. As one of the main alternatives for decarbonizing the automobile sector, the electrification of public transportation in Brazil guarantees the country more than 500 electric buses, but it is not enough to surpass the countries mentioned. In an interview with Jornal da USP no Ar 1ª Edição , Professor Adriana Marotti de Mello from the School of Economics, Administration, Accounting and Actuarial Science (FEA) at the University of São Paulo says that the replacement that many countries are making of internal combustion vehicles has to do with the dependence on oil imports, their energy sources and also the commitments that these countries have to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, such as improving energy efficiency.

“Here in Brazil, we have had a renewable fuel alternative since the 1970s, which is ethanol. That is why we do not have a more urgent need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by replacing petroleum in vehicle use, nor are we heavily dependent on imports, since Brazil is an oil producer,” she says. According to her, this explains the lack of action by federal, state and municipal governments to seek a transition to vehicles — especially passenger vehicles — that use a lot of ethanol.

Electrification of public transport

However, the professor comments that replacing public transportation with cleaner alternatives, especially buses, is something that is more encouraged in Brazil, since many are powered by diesel engines. More polluting than gasoline itself, she warns that diesel emits not only carbon dioxide, but also particulate matter from other toxic gases, and its replacement could indicate advantages for Brazilian society in terms of public health and improved air quality. Furthermore, actions aimed at improving public transportation are already more advantageous in themselves, since its use provides a greater benefit to the population as a whole, reducing congestion and democratizing access to transportation.

Dominique Mouette, a professor at the School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities (EACH) at USP, explains that, in addition to the general advantages of public transportation and the decarbonization of the transportation sector, electric buses are quieter vehicles. In fact, much of Brazil’s energy production comes from renewable sources, which reduces greenhouse gases — unlike cases where electricity is generated by fossil fuels. However, the high costs involved in using electric buses and the high consumption of lithium by their batteries are some of the difficulties encountered.

Need for public policies

Due to the cost of electric transportation and the continental nature of Brazil, Dominique comments that many cities are able to afford this — especially capitals, metropolises and metropolitan regions, which are seeking to renew their public transportation — while others are not, which makes it necessary to increase subsidies in the sector to avoid fare increases. “To have a larger fleet of electric vehicles, bus depots need to have a supply system. The current electrical grid does not allow for the rapid recharging of a fleet of vehicles from the depots, so an investment in the recharging infrastructure needs to be made by the electricity concessionaire, together with the government and the automakers,” he adds.

In this sense, the Ministry of Cities announced that, with resources from the New PAC – Growth Acceleration Program, it will finance the purchase of more than 2,000 electric buses for states and municipalities, which should enter into operation in 2024. Despite the progress, the professor understands that the federal government’s public policies, with tax reductions, incentives and other programs, are not enough.

“The essential public policies for promoting and adopting electric vehicles are financing vehicles and subsidizing fares, and we need to rethink the costs of the system. So there is a group that argues that we need to separate the vehicle from the operation, public policies for cross-subsidies, because electric vehicles will reduce the impact of air pollution in the city, but they will only reduce emissions from the bus transportation sector, and we have all the other emissions that will continue to harm health. So, the population that is most impacted is the one closest to the bus lanes,” he concludes.