EDP, a company that operates in all segments of the Brazilian electric sector and Unidas, leader in the fleet outsourcing market and the second largest car rental company in Brazil, join forces to strengthen the automotive lease market with a 100% electric fleet. In the first phase of the initiative, which starts in October, Unidas will provide 100 vehicles for the corporate and individual segments (Rent a Car), and EDP will act as a supplier of a set of solutions for the customer, including chargers electrical equipment customized to the needs of each one, the installation and maintenance of this equipment, a load management platform, in addition to the offer of energy supply, which may, among other possibilities, be made through a sales and installation contract of panels for solar generation, in order to meet the energy demand of the fleet.

The initiative aims to meet the growing demand of companies and consumers for non-polluting mobility options that, in addition to being environmentally friendly, provide significant savings in fuel and maintenance costs. In the case of electric vehicles, these expenses represent, on average, one fifth of that generated by combustion vehicles.

“We want to reaffirm our purpose in offering the most complete vehicle mobility solutions portfolio on the market, bringing efficiency and better experiences to people and companies”, says Breno Davis, head of Fleet Outsourcing at Unidas. “The offer of these electric cars reinforces our commitment to listening to our customers, meeting their needs and providing a modern and flexible fleet, acting as a mobility vector in the sector”, adds the executive, who also highlights the environmental importance of the initiative: “recently we managed to neutralize 100% of our fleet's CO2 emissions, the result of our commitment to making the world a better place, especially for future generations”, highlights Breno.

"The adoption of electric fleets brings a series of advantages for customers, which have the possibility to reduce costs while making their contribution to improving air quality in cities and to contain the advance of climate change", says Carlos Andrade, Vice President of Strategy and New Business at EDP. “EDP is convinced that this pioneering project will help to strengthen the electric mobility ecosystem in the country and open doors for new business models”, he says.

The initiative contributes to the increase in the number of electric cars in Brazil, where, in the first half of this year, 239 units of the type were sold, according to the Brazilian Association of Importing Manufacturers of Motor Vehicles (Abeifa). According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), 2.1 million electric cars were sold in 2019 in the world, a 6% increase over the previous year.

The partnership between Unidas and EDP still represents benefits to the environment, since the entry into circulation of these 100 electric cars replacing conventional vehicles, will avoid the emission of 574 tons of CO2 per year, on average, which corresponds to the capacity of carbon absorption of 3,518 Atlantic Rainforest trees.

EDP and electric mobility

EDP has a global commitment to electrify 100% of its fleet by 2030, as well as to develop new offers and commercial solutions that promote the energy transition.  Last year, the Company approved in Aneel's Public Call on the topic of Efficient Electric Mobility projects that represent an investment of about R$ 50 million, via the Research and Development Fund, with its own and partner resources.

The main one, started in late 2019, involves the implementation of the first and largest ultra-fast electric vehicle-charging network in South America. There will be 30 charging points covering the entire state of São Paulo and connecting the main electrical corridors in the country, connecting the capital of São Paulo to Rio de Janeiro, Vitória, Curitiba and Florianópolis. The undertaking will have an investment of R$ 32.9 million and will connect 64 charging stations, forming a corridor over 2,500 kilometers in length.

About Unidas

With more than 35 years of experience in the country, Unidas is the leader in the fleet outsourcing market and the second largest car rental company in Brazil. Unidas operates with a fleet of more than 164 thousand vehicles and more than 300 stores throughout Brazil, serving 3 million customers in the car rental segment and around 2 thousand corporate customers in fleet outsourcing. Unidas currently has about 3,300 employees and is recognized as the best car rental company in Brazil by the MESC ranking; has a RA 1000 certificate from Reclame Aqui; and is considered the 11th best large company to work for in Latin America in the Work´s Great Place ranking. For more information, visit the official website and follow the company's LinkedIn. Disclosure photos at the following link: http://bit.ly/UnidasImprensa.

About EDP in 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 more than 10,000 direct and outsourced employees, has six hydroelectric and one thermoelectric generation units, in addition to operating in Transmission, Commercialization and Energy Services. In Distribution, it serves about 3.5 million customers in São Paulo and Espírito Santo, in addition to being the main shareholder of Celesc, in Santa Catarina. In 2020, it was elected the most innovative company in the electricity sector by the Valor Inovação ranking, of the Valor Econômico newspaper, and is a reference in Governance and Sustainability, having been on the B3 Corporate Sustainability Index (ISE) for 14 consecutive years.

Follow EDP at: Website | LinkedIn