QCOSTARICA — The transition to electric mobility is underway in Costa Rica, a country that has seen notable growth in the adoption of electric vehicles in recent years.
Multiple voices from the automotive industry agree that the future of transportation is marked by electrification, although the pace and extent of this transformation are still subject to various factors.
From government policies to the evolution of consumer preferences, to the availability of charging infrastructure and the offering of affordable models, each element plays a crucial role in this change.
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Although combustion cars still have a significant presence in the market, growing awareness of climate change and the availability of cleaner technologies are driving the transition towards more sustainable mobility.
Electric vs combustion
There is a strong upward trend in zero-emission vehicles and the number of vehicles that use fossil fuels is increasingly falling.
According to records by the Ministerio de Ambiente y Energía (MINAE) – Ministry of Environment and Energy – the number of electric vehicles in Costa Rica has grown from 3,300 in 2020 to 4,633 in 2021, 6,526 in 2022 and 12,256 in 2023. That is almost 4 times in four years.
Aivema, the Asociación de Importadores de Vehículos y Maquinaria (Association of Importers of Vehicles and Machinery) statistics indicate that in 2023, there were 50,845 combustion, diesel, and hybrid vehicles imported into Costa Rica, which a little over two times higher than the 23,292 imported in 2020.
What will other countries and manufacturers do?
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Countries and manufacturing companies have established a shared goal of stopping selling or building vehicles powered by fossil fuels by 2035.
This commitment was highlighted during the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), held in Glasgow, Scotland, where an alliance was formed between countries and manufacturers to end sales of internal combustion cars from 2035.
More than 100 entities, including governments and manufacturers, joined this initiative, although the three largest markets in the world such as China, the United States and Japan did not participate. Nor did Costa Rica.
Norway stands out as one of the most ambitious and advanced leaders in this movement. The Nordic country has established that all cars sold from 2025 onwards must be zero emissions.
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The move towards electric transportation is being pushed not only by nations but also by well-known car manufacturers such as General Motors (GM), Ford, Mercedes Benz, and Volvo. These companies have pledged their support for the transition to more environmentally friendly vehicles by signing the COP26 agreement.
An example of this is Hyundai, which closed its combustion engine development division last December to accelerate its transformation as an electric vehicle manufacturer.
For its part, Volvo aims to be fully electric by 2030 and is making significant investments in new electric vehicle production plants as well as the development of more advanced battery technologies.
Voices from Costa Rica’s transportation sector give their opinion: How long will fossil fuels dominate?
Talking to La Republica, Costa Rica’s financial newspaper, were Alberto Philips (product manager at Autostar), Jorge Guerra (commercial deputy director for Grupo Purdy), Ana Lucrecia Vargas (director of marketing at Grupo Danissa), and Rodolfo Araya (regional director at Hyundai Grupo Q), among others.
The market experts did not provide a specific date for any decline in sales, but this is their analysis.
Alberto Philips
“The dominance of combustion cars over electric cars will depend on the development of several factors, including government policies and consumer preferences. The growth of electric vehicles in the country has been extremely accelerated, especially when compared to other countries in the region. The number of representation of electric vehicles in the total market has been doubling year after year, our expectation is that it will be between 15% and 20% by 2024.
Giving a specific year is complex, since it depends on many factors, such as consumer acceptance, the progress of technologies and the development of a robust and accessible public charging network which gives the user the peace of mind of making trips abroad. metropolitan area without the famous autonomy anxiety.”
Among the brands marketed by Autostar are Mercedes Benz, Jeep, Dodge and Fiat.
Jorge Guerra
“We are committed to offering solutions that connect with people’s tastes, preferences and needs. That is, our offer is comprehensive and is focused on responding to what our clients are demanding.
At Grupo Purdy we promote and support all clean technologies, which include: electric vehicles, hydrogen, hybrids and Plug-in hybrids. We are open to supporting any less polluting technology that emerges in the future.
At Grupo Purdy we know that mobility is constantly transforming and that in the future there may be other emerging and clean technologies; or, on the contrary, that the needs or preferences of the consumer change, so indicating which one will dominate in the medium or long term is a challenge to which we must adapt as an industry.:
Grupo Purdy brands in Costa Rica include Toyota, Lexus, Volkswagen and Ford.
Ana Lucrecia Vargas
“Thinking about how much longer combustion cars will dominate over electric cars will depend on many factors such as the manufacturers and the development and investment that each one has in this technology. Another factor to take into account focuses on the evolution of large markets such as the United States, Europe and Asia and the pace at which they advance and last but not least, customer preference.
An excellent alternative is the recent introduction of NISSAN with e-Power, 100% electric propulsion vehicles, where this new and revolutionary technology allows the vehicle to be propelled exclusively by 2 electric motors that are powered by a lithium battery, although The vehicle incorporates a combustion generator, its only function is to generate energy to charge the battery, unlike traditional hybrids that are propelled by combustion and electric engines alternately.
Regarding AUDI, it continues to bet heavily on the path of electrification and more models will soon come in our e-tron range portfolio. Likewise, we will continue to launch models with MHEV technology for both gasoline and diesel engines, thus visualizing the need to maintain combustion models to meet the tastes and requirements of many customers.”
Danissa markets in Costa Rica the Nissan and Audi brands.
Rodolfo Araya
“It is difficult to predict exactly how much longer gasoline cars will dominate over electric cars in Costa Rica, it is even difficult to determine if the technology that will predominate the market is electric. However, it is clear that evolution is inevitable.
The speed of the transition towards electric mobility will depend on various factors, such as the development of charging infrastructure, government incentives for the transition towards this technology, a greater supply of electric cars in the market and the change in consumer perception. It is very important to ensure that the technology you master is economical, versatile and functional.
Hyundai Motor Company has already stopped selling combustion vehicles in Norway and has plans to do so in the European Union before 2035. Globally, the company aims to stop producing them in 2045.”
Grupo Q markets th Huyndai, Cadillac, Cheverolet and Isuzu brands in Costa Rica.
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