QCOSTARICA — Costa Rica is in the top 3 countries with the most electric cars in circulation in Latin America, according to a study published by the Latin American Energy Organization (Olade) in September.
The report analyzes the electric light vehicle fleet in the region, considering 100% battery electric cars (BEV) and plug-in hybrid cars (PHEV), during the first half of 2024.
With almost 18,000 units, the country is ranked third, above Colombia and Chile, and only behind Brazil and Mexico.
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Despite its population and economic size, Costa Rica is one of the most relevant markets in the region in terms of electric vehicles.
In fact, in terms of the number of units per 10,000 inhabitants, the ranking is led by Costa Rica with 34.3 electric vehicles.
In this indicator, Uruguay follows with 17.4, while Brazil is in third place with 7 electric vehicles per 10,000 inhabitants.
Since 2018, Costa Rica has implemented a series of tax benefits to encourage the use of electric vehicles.
These incentives include exemptions from value-added (IVA), customs and selective consumption taxes, and were recently extended by the Legislative Assembly until 2035.
This facilitates the adoption of electric vehicles by reducing their cost, a strategy that has paid off in the rapid expansion of this type of transportation in the country.
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However, charging infrastructure still presents challenges for the country according to Olade, the Latin American Energy Organization.
Currently, Costa Rica has 60 public charging stations, according to the study, which is equivalent to 1.7 stations for every 100 electric vehicles, a lower figure compared to other regional leaders.
This suggests that, although Costa Rica has made progress in the adoption of electric vehicles, it still has room for improvement in terms of the accessibility of the charging network.
Countries with the most electric cars in Latin America:
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- Brazil,152,493 electric cars
- Mexico, 36,887 electric cars
- Costa Rica, 17,903 electric cars*
- Colombia, 14,407 electric cars
- Chile, 6,184 electric cars
It is important to note that Costa Rica has only a population of 5.1 million, while the other four countries have much larger populations: Brazil with 215 million inhabitants, Mexico with 127 million, Colombia with 51 million, and Chile with 19 million.
- According to the Ministerio de Ambiente y Energia (MINAE), up to September 2024, Costa Rica had a total of 20,020 electric vehicles of all types, passenger vehicles (vehicles for daily use with license plates), motos (including bicimotos) with license plates, work vehicles (pickups, panels, buses, and heavy-duty vehicles), special vehicles.
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