English 
Spanish 
5 min read
33 comments
Imports of used electric cars have also been gaining ground in the Brazilian automotive market.
In recent years, the electric vehicle (EV) market has grown exponentially across the world, and Brazil is no exception. With growing awareness of climate change and the need to reduce carbon emissions, many consumers are opting for electric cars as a more sustainable alternative to traditional vehicles powered by fossil fuels. However, the import of used electric cars, through mechanisms such as the Special Vehicle and Enthusiast Program (SEVS), has raised significant concerns about the safety of these vehicles on Brazilian soil.
The SEVS program and the import of used electric cars
O Special Vehicle and Enthusiast Program (SEVS) was originally created with the intention of allowing the import of specialized or historic vehicles that would otherwise not be available on the Brazilian market.
This program has been used as a “back door” for the import of used electric cars, mainly from Japan, United Kingdom and United States. While this practice allows for a greater diversity of EV options for Brazilian consumers, it also raises serious questions about the safety of these vehicles.
- Almost unharmed! This is what the world's only car with a stainless steel body looks like after colliding with an animal on the track at 120 km/h
- Polo 2025 arrives with everything! With a starting price of R$ 92.990, compact and full of technology, check out what Volkswagen has prepared!
- With an investment of R$16 billion, Volkswagen announces production of hybrid cars in Brazil in 2025 and transforms the national sustainable market
- The end of BYD in Brazil? The company suffers from a 'car graveyard' without a destination that could represent the failure of the Chinese company on Brazilian soil: did the strategy go wrong?
A Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP), an authority on vehicle safety in Australia, has expressed concerns about the use of the SEVS program to import used cars that cannot be tested to local safety standards.
According to ANCAP, many of these vehicles are imported in small batches that cannot be assessed for a safety rating, which can result in potentially unsafe vehicles circulating on Brazilian streets.
The security issue raised by ANCAP
One of the main concerns raised by ANCAP is the lack of safety testing for these imported vehicles.
In the case of Australia, ANCAP requires that for a vehicle to receive a safety rating, a minimum of four vehicles of the same model must be tested. However, vehicles imported under the SEVS program often arrive in small batches, making comprehensive testing impractical.
This lack of testing raises important questions about the transfer of safety specifications from one country to another. Each jurisdiction has its own safety standards, and the absence of equivalent tests on Brazilian soil may mean that vehicles imported under the SEVS program do not meet stringent local safety standards.
This subverts the ANCAP classification system and potentially the requirements of the Australian Design Standards, which may not be applicable to the Brazilian context.
The perspective of used car importers
On the other hand, representatives of the vehicle import industry, such as Kristian Appelt, from the Australian Imported Vehicle Industry Association (AIMVIA), disagree with ANCAP's allegations. According to Appelt, the fact that a vehicle has not been tested by ANCAP does not necessarily mean that it is unsafe.
He argues that electric cars imported from countries such as Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States are manufactured to safety standards equivalent to those in Brazil, and that these vehicles undergo rigorous inspections and modifications to meet Australian Design Standards before being released. registered.
Appelt also mentions that several electric vehicles imported under the SEVS program have high safety ratings in other jurisdictions.
For example, the Honda-e from 2020 has a four-star Euro NCAP rating, while the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E and 2022 Nissan Ariya have five-star ratings. These ratings suggest that, despite the lack of testing by ANCAP, these vehicles can still be considered safe for Brazilian roads.
The impact of importing used electric cars in Brazil
Since June 2022, more than 13.958 vehicles were imported into Australia through SEVS registration, based on environmental criteria. While not all of these vehicles are electric, this statistic highlights the popularity and growing demand for more environmentally friendly vehicles. In Brazil, this trend is also being reflected, with an increase in the import of used EVs.
The growing demand for electric cars in Brazil can be seen as a positive response to the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions. However, it is crucial that this demand is balanced with a rigorous analysis of the safety of imported vehicles.
Brazil needs to consider implementing stricter regulations to ensure that all imported vehicles, including used EVs, meet local safety standards before they are registered and released for use on the roads.
Importing used electric vehicles through programs like SEVS offers a valuable opportunity to diversify the EV market in Brazil and provide consumers with more options. However, this practice also presents significant challenges, especially regarding the safety of vehicles that are not tested to local standards.
It is imperative that the Brazilian government consider adopting policies that balance the need to increase the availability of EVs with ensuring that these vehicles are safe for consumers.
The discussion surrounding the import of used EVs in Brazil is complex and multifaceted. While expanding the electric vehicle market is essential to the country's transition to a low-carbon economy, this must not come at the expense of consumer safety.
Adopting stricter regulations and carrying out comprehensive safety testing for imported vehicles are crucial steps to ensuring Brazil continues to move towards a more sustainable future without compromising road safety.
Poorly written report, firstly there is a law in Brazil that prohibits the import of used cars, only the import of used cars considered collector's cars that are over 30 years old is permitted... secondly the report does not explain how the scheme works, much less how they use these services to circumvent the law... anyway the report only talks about importing to countries where the law probably allows importing through some **** law...
Ridiculous! Cars imported from the US, UK and Japan have already undergone VERY RIGOROUS safety tests, precisely because they are countries that respect consumers and do not allow prostitution of the market with low-quality products. In the US, all you have to do is go to the store to return any product purchased, without any need for explanation. It is hard to believe that in Brazil the tests would be more rigorous than in the 1st World. However, there is a problem in the matter that was not mentioned by the poor writer: there is a risk that Brazil and other 3rd World countries will become garbage cans for these electric vehicles, and not even a pseudo-environmentalist is capable of seeing this, because they are incapable of thinking the obvious. Human action is completely insignificant and incapable of changing the temperature of the planet, because a simple volcanic eruption releases more tons of pollutants into the Earth's atmosphere than all the annual emissions of all combustion-powered vehicles in the world combined.
These “imbeciANTAlistas” are retarded! Cars imported from the USA, UK and Japan have already undergone VERY RIGOROUS safety tests, precisely because they entered serious countries, where consumers are respected and the market is not allowed to be prostituted with low-quality products. In the USA, all you have to do is go to the store to return any product you purchased, without any need for explanation. It is hard to believe that in Brazilian lands the tests would be more rigorous than in 1st World countries. However, there is a problem with this import issue that was not mentioned by the weak writer: there is a risk that Brazil and other 3rd World countries will become garbage cans for these electric vehicles, polluting their environments, and not even a pseudo-environmentalist is capable of seeing this, because they are incapable of thinking the obvious. Human action is completely insignificant and incapable of changing the planet's temperature, as a simple volcanic eruption releases more tons of polluting particles into the Earth's atmosphere than all the annual emissions from all combustion-powered vehicles in the world combined.
Completely fanciful article, based on a translation of a report published in Australia, where the supposed author in Brazil, encouraged by the “voices” coming from his own head, inserted and concluded that the same thing happens in Brazil. Dear author, please first learn about Brazilian legislation regarding the import of used cars, before you start writing nonsense on this portal financed by “Click Baits”…..
Poorly made material, in parts it talks about Australia and then Brazil, this used law doesn't even exist in Brazil, Europe and Brazil don't share the same law and much less SEVS!!!
Hey, why don't you move to "United Slaves" to be roasted in the land of the antichrist; take advantage and go by car, because you must be a flat-earther...