As I’m heading towards South America for a few weeks soon, I’m going to be passing by Chile for the first time. Next to Chilean Wine, there is plenty more for me to see – also from a professional point of view.
In fact, Chile has been at the forefront of electrifying mobility in South America, with ambitious goals and significant efforts to deploy electric vehicles (EVs) in its public transport sector. The Chilean government’s National Electromobility Strategy outlines actions required to achieve a 100% electric public transport system by 2040. This commitment is part of a broader goal of having 40% of all passenger vehicles on Chilean roads be electric by 2050.
The country has already become a global leader in EV public transport deployment, with a growing number of electric buses operating in the capital, Santiago. In addition to public transport, the government is also focusing on improving charging infrastructure, providing subsidies and incentives for EV adoption, and passing comprehensive legislation to support the electrification of passenger vehicles.
Chile’s Ministry of Energy first published the National Energy Policy 2050 in 2015, which further reinforces the country’s commitment to sustainable and innovative energy solutions.
Another interesting fact which makes Chile a power player for the future around the entire EV value chain: Chile is a significant contributor to the global lithium market, as it holds vast reserves of lithium, which is a critical element for manufacturing lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles and various electronic devices – a perfect basis for Lithium Ferro Phosphate cell chemistries which are pushing out Nickel Manganese Cobalt chemistries in many applications. The country is the world’s second-largest producer of lithium, primarily through its reserves in the Atacama Desert. Chile’s state-owned company CODELCO is a major player in the lithium production industry, and many other mining companies are starting to look across global innovation and investments in the Battery Value chain such as SQM https://www.sqm.com/. Chile’s lithium reserves and production play a crucial role in meeting the growing demand for lithium-ion batteries worldwide.
It’s going to be exciting to see how a country in Latin America is spear-heading the electrification agenda. By leveraging its success in EV initiatives, Chile has the potential to create a blueprint for South American EV deployment while enabling electrification globally, paving the way for a greener, more sustainable future. A perfect nurturing ground for Startups to emerge in Chile and push forward into other LATAM markets and with far less opposition then in very busy Start-up markets like the US and Europe.
No, I won’t be heading to the Atacama Desert (this time) but will prefer to do a little tour savouring Chilean Wine instead… right after I will have the pleasure to connect with pioneers such as EMASA (https://hubmovilidad.com/), güil Mobility (https://www.guil.cl/) Ventures who is tied up with the Kaufmann Group and of course BlueMobilityVentures (http://bluemobilityventures.vclab.fund) . If you happen to be in Santiago de Chile on the 29th of May 2023 or you want to discuss mobility and electrification in LATAM, get in touch with us: c.gruen@novazure.com. Saludos y hasta pronto!
