Truck Electrification in Brazil: from the perspective of socio-technical players

Abstract

The automotive market worldwide is experiencing unprecedented growth, driven by the adoption of electric passenger and light commercial vehicles, and more recently, by the introduction of electric trucks - in Europe, the United States and Asia – in an attempt to cut greenhouse gas emissions and achieve carbon neutrality, promoting social, environmental, and economic sustainability. This study aims at understanding the perspective of diesel-truck players, regarding the transition to electric engines, from a qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive point of view, using a multilevel and co-evolutionary approach, with a longitudinal temporal perspective, from 2016 to 2022, in Brazil. Among factors identified for the adoption of electric trucks in Brazil are some technological, economic and regulatory elements, consistent with the theory: (a) to increase the availability of public and commercial charging stations; (b) to adapt clean-energy production, transmission and distribution to meet new charge demands; (c) to make hydrogen production cheaper by increasing production; and (d) fuel-cell regulation and standardization. Our evidence-gathering expands the list and adds two resistance factors: (e) business models used to guarantee sales development; and (f) lack of qualified personnel, at the automaker and service network, in terms of electrotechnical expertise and skillset.