Itaú’s Shared Electric Cars Will Be Available For Just R$ 0.90/Minute

Itaú Is About to Launch Its VEC Program, Which Will Offer Shared Electric Cars for a Symbolic Fee of R$ 0.90 per Minute. The Expectation Is That the Initiative Will Reach Everyone in 2023

The Itaú VEC is a shared electric car rental service developed by the bank itself. The project will be launched initially for companies starting in the second half of this year and will be available to the general public only starting in 2023. Currently, there are several forms of mobility besides personal cars, and many people simply do not own a vehicle in their garage to save on taxes and fuel. Therefore, Itaú’s initiative can be a great benefit for both people and the environment.

Electric Car Market Grows in the Country

To give you an idea, the average gasoline price in the Brazilian market is R$ 7.218, and it can already be found for R$ 8.49 at some gas stations in the country, according to a recent survey by the National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP). Therefore, these frequent adjustments can also be seen as a response to the growing increase of electric cars in Brazil.

Information released by the Brazilian Electric Vehicle Association (ABVE) indicates that the sector grew about 78% in the last four months, compared to the same period in 2021. The Association also estimates that by the end of next month, electric cars will represent a fleet of 100,000 vehicles in the country. However, the high investment required to own an electric model also intimidates some interested parties.

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Thinking about this, companies are seeking new sustainable and economical mobility alternatives. This is the case with Itaú, which has the VEC project, a shared electric car service where users pay for the time they use.

Itaú’s Shared Electric Car Service Will Cost R$ 0.90 per Minute

Currently, the project is in the testing phase in the city of São Paulo, where Itaú offers electric cars such as Jaguar I-Pace, BMW i3, Nissan Leaf, and JAC lev40. Regarding prices, the bank’s service will have an unlocking fee of R$ 4.50 and R$ 0.90 per minute of use.

The entire process of locating, locking, and unlocking shared electric cars will be done through an app, similar to the Bike Itaú service. According to the bank itself, the VEC also aims to encourage the use of electromobility, which is still an expensive technology in the country, meaning it seeks to allow more people to use this type of car, which is more sustainable, safe, comfortable, and quiet. An interesting aspect is that the project attracted many more companies than Itaú expected.

Car manufacturers are looking to showcase their models, and among the companies seeking the service are rental agencies, supermarkets, and retail businesses. Itaú is in talks with parking networks because the bank can install the stations in these secure locations, providing customers with a better experience with the shared electric car service.

Uber Is Also Adopting Electric Cars in Its Fleet

In addition to Itaú, Uber is also encouraging electromobility and announced, on the 18th of last month, a new service where its users can request a ride in electric models.

The initiative has been named Uber Comfort Electric and has already been launched in cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, and Dubai.

The service covers various vehicles from Polestar and also from Tesla. The project focuses on Uber’s commitment to becoming a zero-emission platform by 2040.