[Opinion] Towards sustainable mobility

Why is it that when we talk about electromobility in Peru, many of us evoke a futuristic image, when in other countries in the region it is already a reality? Why is it that when we talk about private transportation, it is thought that we prioritize it over public transportation? Although the latter is relevant in social terms, both are complementary and have an impact on environmental and economic issues. It is urgent to transform our approach if we aspire to achieve greenhouse gas emission neutrality by 2050 and meet our country's sustainable development commitments.

From a strategic perspective, Peru should be one of the countries most interested in accelerating this transition, and thus reducing the incidence of environmental pollution problems associated with transportation. At the South American level, we top the list of countries with the worst air quality, causing approximately 176 deaths per million inhabitants (The Lancet Countdow, 2023). In addition, we are highly vulnerable to climate change. For that reason, it is imperative to move towards an energy transition and adopt more sustainable mobility solutions immediately.

The discussion and/or weighing of benefits vs. economic impact is not a problem that concerns only Peru, but has also been discussed by countries in the region. Why not take as an example successful cases such as Colombia, what prevents the consideration of tax and operational incentives for all consumers to have access to electrified vehicles? This lack of regulation hinders access to international cooperation incentives that could accelerate the modernization of our national fleet.

It is important to consider that, in addition to the environmental advantages, the promotion of electromobility would benefit the end user, mainly in economic terms. According to the European Environment Agency (EEA), it is estimated that an electric hybrid car can save between 20% and 40% in fuel compared to a conventional gasoline or diesel car. On the other hand, electrified vehicles reduce both environmental and noise pollution. In addition, when considering efficiency, energy cost, maintenance and resale price, they prove to be a better investment in the long run.

Although the sale of electrified vehicles has grown by more than 65% in the first 11 months of 2023 vs. 2022, it is still a low percentage of total car sales in our country, only 2.4% according to figures from the Automotive Association of Peru (AAP). This figure reveals that there is still a low penetration of this technology.

Electromobility is a global reality, there is no turning back. Major automotive brands have been developing aggressive strategies to offer more and more affordable vehicles to more and more people, in line with their own sustainability goals. Traditional internal combustion vehicles are a thing of the past. It is time to adapt to the future and offer the necessary incentives to benefit from the advantages of electromobility.

Column published in The Peruvian.