How many electric cars are there in Peru? Guide to understand this technology

The main countries of the world have started a race to promote the electromobility on their tracks and Peru should not be oblivious to that. Although it is a new topic, little by little it is gaining ground. Therefore, in this report we will resolve some doubts about this technology that promises to reduce pollution and costs for the public.

Broadly speaking, electromobility “is based on a platform of batteries and electric motors that have replaced all those components that were immersed in a conventional vehicle”, that is, vehicles that are based on the use of fuel. This was explained by Alex Ascón Jimenez, head of e-Mobility at EnelXPerú, in dialogue with Trade. There is currently a wide variety of electrified vehicles offered by manufacturers: on the one hand, there is the non-plug-in hybrid, which is an optimized combustion vehicle with an electric motor; there is also the plug-in hybrid that connects to a charger, but has a very small battery; finally, we have the pure electric vehicle that, unlike the rest, does not depend on fuel, recharges from a power outlet and does not emit gases.

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Within this framework, Ascón Jimenez considered that “the hybrid vehicle has been a transitory technology. It appeared to make people begin to understand that vehicles could be electrified.” And it is that this technology implies a series of changes in our lifestyles, which in Peru began to be felt at the end of the last decade.

According to data from the Automotive Association of Peru (AAP), by 2022 there are around 3,500 electrified vehicles. Almost 92% of the total are non-plug-in hybrids and the rest are plug-in. Additionally, the AAP estimates that there are more than 100 pure electric vehicles on our roads. This is the scenario in front of the 3.2 million vehicles that are in circulation, between light and heavy vehicles. In addition, today there are up to six brands that already offer this type of mobile unit.

The sale of electrified vehicles has been increasing to date, for the January-April period, according to information from the AAP. This year 744 vehicles are being sold until April. (Image: aap.org.pe)

How does it work?

It is a new technology, but its operation is very similar to that of a cell phone. For this reason, one of the first things that must be understood is recharging the vehicle, which can be done at home, mainly, or by “electric stations” on the street.

“There is talk of recharging by opportunity, which is the recharging that is done in idle times, such as the cell phone. The vehicle is not used at night. There is a range of 10 hours that can be easily charged to have maximum autonomy”, recalls Ascón. But there is a detail. It is not about connecting the vehicle to a common outlet. Having an electric vehicle implies the installation of a home charger of at least 7.4 kW, which must come with the purchase of the vehicle.

At this point, another debate arose. There is no single charger standard. Ascon tells us that there is an American, European, Chinese model, among others. “We cannot have a universal charger today. The same thing has happened with cell phone chargers, that there were many connectors. In 2040, it could probably be standardized, but it is under study”, he comments. Although, he also added that it is the European standard that has been positioning itself more in the world market because “it has a broader level of security validation”.

Elioth Tarazona, normative technical manager of the Automotive Association of Peru (AAP)

And how long does an electric vehicle last?

Ellioth Tarazona, normative technical manager of the AAP, explained to this newspaper that recharging an electric vehicle at home could take 3 to 4 hours and in an “electrolinera” it could reach half an hour, since it works with direct current. “In more popular vehicles it is around 300 km to 350 km of autonomy. That means that with a single charge of electricity it will allow to travel that distance, ”he indicated, which is equivalent to the time of use of a week in the city.

Meanwhile, regarding the life of this vehicle, Ascon Jiménez considers that it could last between 7 to 8 years, without reducing its autonomy performance. But, the time of use should also be considered. “What happens next? The average vehicle trade-in is 4-5 years and you are probably not using it, have resold it, or are returning it to the factory for a new one,” he commented.

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Alex Ascón Jimenez, EnelXPerú e-Mobility representative. (Photo: Personal Archive)

Cost and maintenance

But this technology faces some doubts. One of them revolves around prices.

Today, electrified vehicles are expensive. Our interviewees agreed on this. Depending on the brand, vehicles can be found between US$40,000 and US$80,000. However, the trend is downward and the benefits would be higher compared to a conventional vehicle.

“The cost of acquisition today is still high, but what is clear is that the cost of operation is much cheaper. And that only talk about energy. Maintenance costs are reduced because they have far fewer parts to service. In the long run it also means savings for the owners,” Tarazona said.

And why are they so expensive? The battery is one of the points to take into account. Tarazona points out that the lithium battery alone represents 35% of the cost of a vehicle. However, by 2025 or 2026 it is estimated that the prices between a conventional vehicle and an electrified one will equalize, because another type of sodium-based battery is being investigated. In addition to this, he recalled that it is important to train the technical staff in the workshops so that they know how to properly handle this technology.

Another aspect is the cost of recharging. Since the recharge is done at home, the additional expense will be reflected in the electricity bill, warns Ascón Jimenez. However, he emphasizes that the cost is lower than the expense for fuel, with a saving of 80%. “If you use 100 soles of fuel for X kilometers, you could do the same number of kilometers paying 10 or 15 soles in electricity. There is a considerable saving. And normally conventional vehicles are working with 300 to 400 kilometers of autonomy”, he indicated.

In the future, users of electric vehicles could recharge at “electrolineras” for long trips. But the main recharge is at home. (Photo: Diffusion)

Now, as opposed to recharging at home, we have recharging on the street (electroline stations). “If you travel to Trujillo, no matter how much you charge the battery 100% at home, you will never get to Trujillo, because of the autonomy. You’re going to need to load into Chimbote. You have to necessarily go to a public charger. Therefore, it is necessary for the State to work on the installation and promotion of public chargers”, warned Tarazona.

Today there are only two electrolineras available in conventional taps (Lurín and San Isidro) and they are free. In addition, there are about thirty charging stations nationwide installed in hotels, shopping centers and private companies; but, for the AAP spokesperson “as soon as it becomes widespread (electromobility), it will begin to charge. But the charges will always be less than what it means to spend on liquid fuels such as gasoline or diesel.” It is a field in which the rates have not yet been defined. Even regarding home recharge charges, the AAP proposes a third rate schedule for electricity consumption. “That is, from 12 at night to 5 in the morning, when electricity consumption is minimal, the electricity rate is lower than what we normally pay,” Tarazona told Trade. It would be a model similar to other countries.

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And the environment?

Environmental pollution is one of the points of debate when talking about electrified vehicles. But the truth is that it is the hybrid vehicles that still emit gases, although in smaller quantities, and the great difference is made by the pure electric vehicle that does not have CO2 emissions. And in Lima a test was already done.

Ascón Jimenez recalled that in 2019 an electric bus was put into operation in the Red Corridor, which in 18 months avoided the emission of 107 tons of CO2. “A single bus. Imagine migrating to an urban transport fleet. Clearly, migrating from technology, having this alternative, is going to give us a greater impact on the quality of life”, he commented.

Electric bus was tested in Lima since 2019. It was part of the Red Corridor fleet. (Photo: Diffusion)

On the other hand, the AAP estimates that by 2030, with the entry of electric and hybrid vehicles, a 48% reduction in CO2 emissions will be allowed. For this, work must be done on a better organization of traffic with the scrapping of obsolete vehicles, among other measures that do not saturate the tracks.

“By 2030 there should be a vehicle fleet of 4.8 million vehicles, of which our goal is that approximately between 450,000 and 500,000 will be electrified vehicles. The goal is also that 25% of sales correspond to electrified vehicles”, commented Tarazona.

But the weak point of electromobility is the origin of the energy source. That is, how the electrical energy that will feed the vehicle is generated. The spokesman for the Automotive Association of Peru warned that there are countries where electricity is generated by thermal power plants that do cause CO2. However, in our country there are a large number of hydroelectric plants, so the energy source is clean and the thermal plants use camisea gas.

“More than 95% of electricity is clean. The other 5% is not dirty, it is from wind power in 2% and 3% from diesel thermal power plants, but these are in places where natural gas cannot yet be brought”, he commented.

In this way, the road for Peru in electromobility is still long. However, the first steps are already being taken. One of them is to understand its operation to be prepared.

Source: Elcomercio