The National Director of Energy of Uruguay, Fitzgerald Cantero, participated in the “Latam Mobility: ConoSur 2023” to present progress and plans in the short, medium and long term in electromobility.
“We have sustainable mobility and electromobility at a high point that we are leading in the ministry. Despite the drought we are currently experiencing, we have a renewable energy generation matrix above 90%”, explained the official.
He pointed out that renewable energy represents a golden opportunity, since Uruguay is not an oil producing country, which will save on import costs and will also contribute to the environment.
Focus on Transportation
Cantero assured that transportation is one of the key focuses of his administration with the creation of an institutional group for energy efficiency in public transportation.
With respect to the private sector, he explained that they periodically form working groups on electric mobility, with the aim of breaking down barriers through training.
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The official also took advantage of his participation in the Invest in Latam meeting to highlight the sustained growth that Uruguay has had in the commercialization of electric vehicles.
He specified that in 2020, 300 electrified cars were sold, in 2021 the figure rose to 600 and in 2022 it closed at 1,200, doubling the numbers annually.
Incentives and Regulations
Cantero explained the exemptions the Uruguayan government has made to encourage sustainable mobility. “We have incentives such as 0% tariff rate for the entry of electric vehicles into the country. There is also the Investment Promotion Law so that companies can have a significant discount on the purchase of their vehicles.”
He highlighted the incentives granted for motorcycles, tricycles and cab service through mobile applications. “To cabs we offered a program for 100 vehicles with $5,000 in advance for them to start operations. We already granted 82 and we are close to the goal of 100 cars.”
Finally, Cantero emphasized the need to take advantage of the large amount of renewable energy resources Uruguay has to impact the economy and align with the Sustainable Development Goals.
