EDP and Águia Branca Group develops charging infrastructure for electric buses | EDP Brasil

Brazil has a fleet of around 500,000 buses in operation. Within the electric mobility market, the electric bus market has the highest potential for social and environmental benefits, financial return and opportunities in the energy sector. Having this in mind, EDP, a company that operates throughout the value chain of the electricity sector, enters on Wednesday (27) into a contract to enable a mobility pilot project in partnership with VIX Logística, a company of the Águia Branca Group, one of the largest transportation and logistics business conglomerates in the country, aiming to develop a recharge system for electric bus fleets in Espírito Santo.

The initiative, lasting about two years and with a total investment of R$ 6.6 million, was included in the Public Call of the National Agency of Electrical Energy (ANEEL) for the Efficient Electric Mobility category, through the Research and Development fund. The pilot project will consist of an electric bus and four charging stations, operating in an integrated manner through a management platform, which will allow for functionality and business model testing.

EDP will be responsible for overall project management and development, as well as providing electric mobility services.  VIX Logística is the main partner of the bus operator, who will perform functionality tests and feasibility analysis. The consortium will also have the participation of Siemens as a provider of charging solutions and Certi as a contributor in specific market studies, regulatory issues and economic feasibility analysis.

“EDP, through its EDP Smart division, is developing an integrated electric mobility and energy services solution for powering corporate fleets with electric mobility. The partnership with the Águia Branca Group represents the investment in this segment and the continuity of our efforts to strengthen Espírito Santo as one of the most important electric mobility hubs in the country ”, says Nuno Pinto, EDP Smart Electric Mobility Executive Manager.

According to Kaumer Chieppe, vice president of the Águia Branca Group - Logistics Division, VIX is always looking for customized, innovative and sustainable solutions for its customers, and this initiative is another step in this direction. “We are happy with the opportunity for partnership with EDP. This is a pioneer project in the state of Espírito Santo that will enable us to know and evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of the electric mobility of the transportation system. This project, which will be tested in real environment in passenger transportation, in selected bus lines, will allow us to evolve to obtain competitive costs in diesel alternative technologies to offer to customers”, says.

EDP and electric mobility

Mobility electrification is an axis of EDP Group’s strategy. The Company is committed globally to electrifying 100% of its car fleet by 2030, as well as the development of new offerings and commercial solutions that promote the transformation of the energy matrix. The Company was recently elected one of the most innovative companies in the Brazilian electric sector and wants to lead the movement of this transition to a low carbon economy.

In December 2018, EDP, in partnership with the State of Espírito Santo Industries Federation (Findes), through SENAI (National Service for Industrial Training), announced the installation of the largest network of electric car charging stations in the state. The project has an investment of about R$ 350,000 and will allow the implementation of seven charging stations.

More recently, EDP announced the implementation of 30 new charging points that will cover the entire state of São Paulo and connect the main electric corridors of the country, connecting the state capital to Rio de Janeiro, Vitória, Curitiba and Florianópolis. It is the first and largest project in South America to install ultra fast chargers (150kw and 350kw).

Network deployment will begin in 2019, with the completion of network deployment within three years. The venture will have an investment of R$ 32.9 million and will connect 64 charging points, making a corridor with more than 2,500 kilometers in length.

About EDP Brazil

With over 20 years of experience, EDP is one of the largest private companies in the electricity sector operating throughout the value chain. The Company, which has over 10,000 direct and outsourced employees, operates in Electrical Power Generation, Distribution, Transmission, Trading and Energy Services. It has six hydroelectric unit and one thermoelectric generation, and serves about 3.5 million customers through its Distributors in São Paulo and Espírito Santo states. Recently, EDP became CELESC’s main shareholder in Santa Catarina state. In Brazil, it is a reference in areas such as Innovation, Governance and Sustainability, having been in the B3 Corporate Sustainability Index (ISE) for 14 consecutive years.

About VIX Logistica

Specializing in customized logistics solutions, VIX Logística is one of the largest companies in the sector in Brazil. It operates in rental and management of fleets, people transfers, cargo handling, automotive logistics and dedicated logistics, with operations ranging from North to South of the country and also in Mercosur. It currently employs 11,000 people and has about 14,000 vehicles in its fleet.

About the Águia Branca Group

Founded in 1946, the Águia Branca Group is one of the largest transportation and logistics business conglomerates in the country. Headquartered in Espírito Santo and with revenues of over R$ 6 billion per year, the Group operates throughout Brazil in air and road passenger transport, logistics and vehicle trade services.

The companies are managed through Divisions, which act in a specialized manner, according to the characteristics of each segment. With an organizational model that seeks to value people, Águia Branca Group companies offer their customers high quality products and services. Therefore, professional development is constantly encouraged, as the Group employs 18,000 people.

Another common practice of the Águia Branca Group is the investment in research on new technologies that can be incorporated into its different areas of expertise.