Rio de Janeiro Launches Public-Private Partnership for Zero-Emission Transportation

RIO DE JANEIRO – A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed today among Rio de Janeiro State Government and leaders from Brazil’s public-private sectors to accelerate zero-emission transportation in Rio de Janeiro. The partners for this historic deal are Renault-Nissan Alliance, Petrobras Distribuidora, Light, Ampla and Rio Negócios.

 As part of the MoU, the parties will study the possibility of producing electric vehicles in the state, as well as the entire infrastructure necessary for running such cars. The project is part of the Rio Capital Energy Program, coordinated by the State Department of Economic Development, Energy, Industry and Services of Rio de Janeiro.

"We want to make sure Rio de Janeiro will be a world’s reference in energy for the twenty-first century, repeating the vocation that Rio already has in the area of ​​traditional energy," said the Secretary of the State Department of Economic Development, Energy, Industry and Services, Julio Bueno, commenting on the program.

Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro are currently rolling out pilot programs that use the Nissan LEAF as part of the cities’ taxi fleets.

Renault and Nissan have been consistently committed to zero-emission technology. The companies have invested €4 billion in the past two decades to develop electric cars that consume no petroleum and can be recharged on pure renewable energy.

The first fully electric mass-produced vehicle to hit the market was the Nissan LEAF, which debuted in December 2010. Renault recently launched the ZOE subcompact and has a range of other zero-emission options including the Fluence Z.E. sedan, the Twizy urban two-seater, and the Kangoo Z.E. van.

The Renault-Nissan Alliance has sold nearly 100,000 zero-emission cars, more than all other major automakers combined.

“Renault-Nissan is in the vanguard of electric vehicles. This new initiative reaffirms our global commitment to offering sustainable urban mobility that is fun to drive,” affirmed Carlos Ghosn, the Renault-Nissan Alliance CEO during this morning’s announcement.

Petrobras Distribuidora is in charge of the feasibility studies for the implementation of the recharging infrastructure at Petrobras’ service stations in Rio. “Therefore, we remain faithful to our position as market leaders, in the vanguard in terms of technology and sustainability”, José Lima de Andrade Neto, president, Petrobras Distribuidora.

Rio Negócios will take part in the workgroup for the EV development, representing the Municipality to promote the city as a business destination in the emerging technological and industrial sector. Its mission is to identify project opportunities and portfolios, and develop the industry to consolidate the intelligence of this new activity in the country. “We accelerate projects and facilitate the installation of businesses in the city, serving as a liaison between the public and private sector. In terms of investments for the EV technology, Rio will be at the forefront of industrial innovation”, Marcelo Haddad, President, Rio Negócios.

Light is an electricity distribution and retailing company with 4 million customers in 31 cities of the Rio de Janeiro State. It will also back the development of this project and contribute to promote feasibility studies aimed at the implementation of the recharging infrastructure. “Light is committed to this initiative in line with sustainability principles”, says Paulo Roberto Pinto, president, Light.

Ampla is a company controlled by Endesa Brasil (Enel Group). It will study the implementation of a technological and innovative infrastructure to ensure a sustainable supply of energy. “Being part of an EV project confirms our strategic bet on the R&D of smart power grids based on the new energy model”, Marcelo Llévenes, president of Ampla and Endesa Brazil.

About the Renault-Nissan Alliance
The Renault-Nissan Alliance is a strategic partnership between Paris-based Renault and Yokohama, Japan-based Nissan, which together sell one in 10 cars worldwide. The companies, which have been strategic partners since 1999, sold 8.1 million cars in nearly 200 countries in 2012. The Renault-Nissan Alliance is the world leader in electric-vehicle technology. The Alliance also operates strategic collaborations with automakers including Germany’s Daimler, China’s Dong Feng, and India’s Ashok Leyland and recently took a majority stake in Russia’s top automaker, AVTOVAZ.

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