THE BRAZILIAN AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY AND SUSTAINABILITY

Abstract

The automotive industry in Brazil is highly diversified in the production of vehicles (cars, trucks, buses, and light commercial vehicles). Since the 1970s, Brazil has experienced changes in the vehicle energy matrix, with the appearance of ethanol fuel as an alternative to oil. The use of ethanol produced from sugar cane, followed by biodiesel and modest advances in the use of electrical batteries in cars, has put the country on the path to energy sustainability. Currently, the technological innovations of the automotive industry have been concerned with developing electric and hybrid vehicles, as is the case with hybrid vehicles that are powered by hydrogen fuel cells or batteries (lead or lithium). The Brazilian automotive industry has thus contributed to the search for sustainability. It has a long way to go in that direction, however, because the use of diesel engines in trucks and buses accounts for the largest portion of air pollution in Brazilian cities. Brazilian legislation plays an important role in the quest for sustainability. More stringent legislation for reducing the emission of gaseous pollutants in all types of vehicles, and improvements in the enforcement of vehicle regulation, represent a huge leap forward in this regard. The efforts of the automotive industry in Brazil, along with technological developments, can contribute to the reduction of emissions of polluting gases, and the introduction of public transportation via trains, subways, and monorails that use electricity can do likewise. All of these are important contributions to the reduction of air pollution in Brazilian cities, and to the sustainability that we all so badly need.