Unidas Car Rental Network to Acquire Fleet of 2,000 Electric Cars, Investments of R$ 370 Million

With the Aim of Honoring the Goal of Reducing Emissions, Unidas Will Increase Its Fleet with Electric Vehicles

Thinking about the announced commitment to minimize carbon emissions by 2028, the vehicle rental company Unidas allocated R$ 370 million for the purchase of a fleet of 2,000 electric cars in 2022, with 400 of them being hybrid models. With this acquisition, the rental company will total 2,600 vehicles available for its clients, not only in the fleet outsourcing sector but also in the rental area. Unidas has already signed acquisition contracts with automakers such as Renault, BMW, and Stellantis, owner of brands like Fiat and Peugeot.

Read Also:

• Despite US Sanctions, Iran Has Been Sending Gasoline and Oil Products to Venezuela; During the Governments of Hugo Chávez and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Countries Became Strategic Allies and More Oil Started to ‘Emerge’ from the Venezuelan Subsoil 
• Neoenergia Starts Assembly of 103 GE Turbines, 125 Meters Tall, Equivalent to a 40-Story Building, at Its Largest Wind Farm in Northeast Brazil

According to Breno Davis, head of the fleet area, this action is the first of many major movements the company has to electrify its portfolio. Unidas aims to increase its fleet of electric cars to 80,000 by 2027. This initiative is expected to total approximately R$ 15 billion in investments over the next five years, considering current vehicle prices.

More than minimizing carbon emissions, Unidas wants to take the lead in the adoption of electric vehicles. “We understand that someone needs to take this lead and overcome the fear of investing in this market,” Davis said.

Recomendado para você

Oil and Gas

Major Oil, Gas, and Energy Event Will Take Place in Brazil: Macaé Energy Will Gather Petrobras, Equinor, Prio, Among Other Suppliers and Energy Executives for Business, Networking, and Employment Opportunities

The Technical Agenda and the Fair in the City of Macaé Should Boost Discussions on Investments, Energy Transition, and Development of the Oil, Gas, and Energy Chain in the National...

Paulo Nogueira

1

However, the challenges in this segment are significant. For now, there are still few existing charging points throughout Brazil, as well as vehicle resale, which is responsible for a significant portion of revenue and profitability in the segment, and also suffers from the lack of vehicles and the urban infrastructure itself.

That’s why Unidas expects to install 1,000 charging points by 2027, aiming to meet the demand it is creating. This is an initiative that the company is already carrying out with its corporate clients in fleet management and outsourcing. According to Davis, depending on the company’s request, Unidas installs chargers in corporate buildings or in executives’ homes.

Future Plans of the Unidas Rental Network

This is the market that Unidas will invest in the short term. This is because the cars available in the rental sector are still for customers who want to try driving an electric vehicle, especially since the prices are higher than renting a combustion vehicle.

Unidas is in the process of merging with Localiza, which is the largest company in the sector in the country. In December, the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (Cade) approved the merger by three votes to two, but with a series of restrictive measures for the company. Among them, the companies will need to divest all of Unidas’ assets in the rental sector. However, the company’s main focus, fleet management, was spared.

For Davis, despite so much bureaucracy, it is worthwhile for Unidas to make this move. Unidas received the EV100 seal, a global initiative of companies committed to transitioning from combustion vehicles to electric models by 2030. Furthermore, according to the executive, the initiative is part of the ESG agenda and helps generate value for customers.

“Even without access to the business, we know the team at Localiza, and I am sure that, with the merger coming to fruition, this agenda will gain even more strength with the new company,” he affirms.