Vargem Grande Paulista expands municipal fleet with 100% electric buses | Estadão Mobility |

After the number of passengers almost quadrupled (from 36 thousand to 130 thousand/month) since 2019 with the implementation of the Zero Tariff model, Vargem Grande Paulista, a municipality with just over 50 thousand inhabitants located in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo, needed to expand and renew its buses, going from 7 to 14 units.

With this process, the city also gained three electric models, which are now part of the city’s fleet. Logitec, the public transport operator. “Not only do they expand service capacity, but they also establish a new standard of national and sustainable technology, consolidating the city as an example of innovation in urban mobility”, reinforces Mayor Josué Ramos (PL).

“They represent the first step towards decarbonization and, secondly, because they are 100% Brazilian, with parts, engineering, and 100% national development”, he adds.

The buses have traction and integration technology Electra, bodywork Gaius eMillennium, electric motor and batteries WEG and chassis Mercedes-Benz, manufactured in São Bernardo do Campo (SP). All measuring 12.1 meters and with a low floor, they have capacity for 70 passengers and one wheelchair user, and have a range of 200 to 250 kilometers. Full recharging takes 4 hours.

Read too: Mayor of Vargem Grande Paulista tells how to make the Ze Tariff viablero

Accelerating decarbonization

After implementing the Zero Tariff, which also helps to take cars off the streets, the municipality’s goal is to accelerate the decarbonization process. “An entire electric fleet would be ideal and my consumer dream, but we have already started,” says Ramos.

“We have to think big in terms of innovation, technology, sustainability and the dignity of the user in using this service that is trending, putting us on par with others that are a reference in the issue of mobility and better travel for the population. It’s another source of pride for the city.”

He recognizes that electric models are especially a necessity. “We carried out a study, visited several cities after finding out about the models, the costs, the batteries and their disposal, the return on investment, the issue of charging, the infrastructure to support this new reality”, he says.

Rental system

The city council even studied the purchase, but the R$3 million valued for each of them would not fit into the budget, not even the financing of current technologies that in a few years’ time could be obsolete and even more costly.

The model chosen for electric vehicles follows the lease (R$ 110 thousand/month), as is the case with other diesel vehicles (R$ 70 thousand/month). The entire fleet absorbs R$1.2 million/month, with all costs already included.

“We opted for 100% national companies to have quick responses and also this type of contract, which already covers the vehicle, labor, maintenance, batteries and any problems if they happen”, he assesses.

Ramos also helped to draw up the itinerary of the lines, which also have GPS to monitor schedules. Soon, the population will also have an application available, in the development phase, to monitor transport in the city, which should run from 5 am until 11 pm. The city is also installing the three chargers in the new garage, with the cost included in the same contract.

According to the mayor, both electric buses and the Zero Tariff are a one-way path to the city’s reality. He explains that the cost is already part of the city’s budget (4%) without any harm to other priority areas, such as health, education and security.

“Without the city hall having to subsidize more than 70% of the operators when the contracting model is by concession, often offering scrapped buses to the population. Companies need to change their concession paradigms for leasing these vehicles, offering predictability to the system and the population, who already approve and use the service”, he concludes.

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https://mobilidade.estadao.com.br/meios-de-transporte/onibus/vargem-grande-paulista-amplia-a-frota-com-onibus-eletricos/
Author: Daniela Saragiotto

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