EDP, a company that operates throughout the Brazilian electric sector chain, signed a memorandum of intent with Zebra (acronym for Accelerator for the Development of Zero Emission Vehicles). The initiative is a partnership of C40 Cities, a network that connects 96 of the main cities in the world committed to promoting bold climate actions to create a healthier and more sustainable future, and the International Council for Clean Transport (ICCT), an independent, non-profit organization, founded to offer impartial technical research and analysis to governments and environmental regulators.

The partnership aims to accelerate the adoption of electric buses in cities, articulating conversations with governmental, financial, operators and companies interested in investing in this market. The actions converge with projects that EDP already executes in Brazil, which together add up to more than R$ 11 million in initiatives aimed at the electric bus market.  

In Espírito Santo, the Company has been running a pilot mobility project in partnership with VIX Logística, a company of the Águia Branca Group, to develop a recharging system for fleets of electric buses in Espírito Santo. The project receives an investment of R$ 6.6 million and was included in the Public Call of the National Agency of Electrical Energy (ANEEL) for the topic of Efficient Electric Mobility, via the Research and Development fund. The first tests with the electric bus started in late October 2020.

In Ceará, EDP put into circulation the first Brazilian electric bus totally powered by solar energy. Conceived at UTE Pecém, the model has a battery bank capable of guaranteeing the vehicle's autonomy of 300 kilometers, which is already being used to transport employees between Fortaleza and São Gonçalo do Amarante, where the EDP unit is located. With an investment of R$ 4.85 million, the pilot project was developed in partnership with the Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp). Recharging is done in the company's parking lot, using a carport mounted with solar panels.

“Electric mobility is one of the pillars of our strategy for electric mobility. We see in it the real possibility of contributing to having more sustainable cities, with less CO2 emissions, and that help to control the planet's temperature. This memorandum of intent reinforces our commitment to lead the energy transition, in addition to expanding the space for electric buses in the metropolises ”, says Nuno Pinto, head of Electric Mobility and B2C Business at EDP in Brazil.

Electric mobility and ESG commitments

At a global level, EDP is committed to electrifying 100% of its fleet by 2030, as well as developing 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 around R$ 50 million, via the Research and Development Fund, its own and partner resources. Among them is the pilot project for mobility of the electric bus in Espírito Santo and Plug & Go, the largest network of ultra-fast chargers in South America, with the installation of 30 new ultra-fast charging stations for electric cars.

In November, EDP entered into a partnership with Embraer to develop an electric plane. Through the EDP Smart division, the Company announced a financial contribution for the acquisition of the energy storage and recharge technology solution for the 100% electric propulsion technology demonstration plane, which uses an EMB-203 Ipanema as a test platform. The prototype that is already in development has the first flight scheduled for 2021.

The investment in electric mobility reflects the Company's efforts to stimulate the Brazilian energy transition with a view to contributing to the control of global warming.  In 2021, for the 15th consecutive time, EDP will be among the most sustainable companies on the Brazilian stock exchange in the Corporate Sustainability Index (ISE). The Company obtained above average scores in all dimensions of the questionnaire and was considered a benchmark in five of the seven dimensions (General, Social, Environmental, Economic and Nature of the Product).

In June, EDP in Brazil submitted to the United Nations (UN) the commitment to reduce its emissions to ensure that global warming does not exceed 1.5°C, adhering to the Business Ambition for 1.5°C - Our Only Future. To this end, it is committed to ensuring that, by 2030, 100% of the energy it generates comes from renewable sources. The Company also joined Recover Better, a global initiative that proposes governments and businesses around the world to align their recovery and economic aid efforts related to the Covid-19 crisis based on the latest climate studies.

Still this year, Miguel Setas, president of EDP in Brazil, was announced by the UN Global Compact Brazil Network, as CEO spokesman for Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG 11) - Sustainable Cities and Communities - in the Leadership with Impact.

In addition, the Company subscribes to the Brazilian Business Commitment to Biodiversity, an initiative of the Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development (CEBDS) which endorses EDP's commitment to preventing, mitigating and offsetting impacts on diversity, in addition to generating sharing information on the topic.

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 15 consecutive years.

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