BYD inks Brazil charging deal
Chinese OEM teams up with biofuels firm Raizen to roll out charging points in eight cities
Brazilian energy company Raizen and Chinese automaker BYD have announced a strategic partnership to roll out EV charging hubs in eight Brazilian cities over the next three years.
The hubs will be in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Curitiba, Florianopolis, Salvador and Belem. Construction will start in 2024.
In total around 600 new DC charge points will be installed, adding an additional 18MW of installed power.
The charge points will be marketed under Shell’s public EV charging brand Shell Recharge. Raizen was formed in 2011 as a JV between Shell and Brazilian energy company Cosan and is a licensee of the Shell brand.
“We will participate in the entire consumer journey with Shell Recharge network, through a complete and integrated portfolio that addresses the global pursuit of a more sustainable future,” says Ricardo Mussa, CEO of Raizen.
The agreement is part of BYD’s plan to expand its market share of EVs in the country. BYD consumers will receive discounts at the charge points.
“As we embark on our ambitious sales expansion plan, investing in charging infrastructure is essential,” says Stella Li, CEO of BYD Americas.
Last year Shell and BYD announced that Shell Recharge will offer BYD customers access to over 300,000 charge points across Europe.
Shell and BYD have also formed a JV to operate an EV charging station near Shenzhen Airport in China, which is equipped with 258 fast chargers.
Growing networks
Meanwhile, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation has approved a JV between Mercedes-Benz and BMW, which aims to develop a 1,000-station high-power charging network in the country by the end of 2026.
The first stations are planned to begin operating next year in targeted regions. The ultimate goal is for around 7,000 high-power charging points across 1,000 stations by the end of 2026.