Is the future electric? Automakers are already reviewing plans after frustrations

In parallel with these events, other sectors also began to demonstrate resistance to the imposition of electric cars: the rental company Hertz, which had announced ambitious plans to electrify its fleet in the United States by the end of 2024, took a step back in its electrification journey. The company decided to sell 20,000 electric cars from its fleet due to increased maintenance costs associated with the new technology. This shift in strategy reflects the challenges companies face when trying to quickly adopt electric vehicles into their operations.

The paradigm shift has reached automakers. The first to change its mind was Chevrolet, which believed in a transition from combustion to electric models without the transition to hybrids. General Motors – the group that controls Chevrolet – had originally promised that its production would be exclusively electric vehicles from the year 2035.

In January, during the announcement of R$7 billion in investments in Brazil, the brand assumed the possibility of producing hybrid cars, and attributed this decision to consumer desire.

Mercedes-Benz also made announcements related to the electrification of its fleet. Initially, it planned to become fully electric in some markets by the year 2030. Furthermore, the company had a goal of having 50% of sales volume made up of electrified vehicles by 2025. However, a few days ago, it assumed that it had adjusted its goals and strategy – now, the expectation is to reach this sales volume in the “second half of the decade”, that is, by 2030

Electrics did not meet expectations

The director of Jato Informação Automotivas, Milad Kalume, explains that, in fact, trams have frustrated expectations – and a series of factors contribute to this scenario. The first factors are the best known: the lack of infrastructure and the time needed to recharge the vehicle. But there are other issues, such as lack of knowledge about the technology and concern about what the future of the vehicle will be.