M2G: “In Uruguay almost everyone has an EV because charging costs 20 times less”

It’s no longer news that Uruguay’s electric vehicle (EV) fleet has been consolidating year after year.

In a country with very high fossil fuel costs, the EVs has become the best option, mainly because users benefit from significant savings in vehicle charging.

In a conversation with Mobility Portal Latin America, Marcelo Mula, co-founder of M2G (MoveToGreen), discusses the current status and potential of the national eMobility ecosystem.

– Is the interest in buying electric vehicles still strong in the country?

– Yes, for example, in the first quarter of this year, 2,500 vehicles were sold, doubling last year’s first-quarter sales, and we will end this year with around 20,000 vehicles on the road. Of these, the majority are charged at home, with only a few being charged in public spaces.

– What type of chargers are being used in Uruguay?

– At Move to Green, we have a mobility division, and recently we signed an agreement with ABB, the main supplier of DC chargers installed by UTE (National Administration of Power Plants and Electric Transmissions), to distribute them, especially the AC chargers which are primarily for home or business use. These chargers are 32 amps, either 7.2 kW or three-phase, 20 kW.

– What is the relationship between the cars sold and the charging points?

– Chargers that come with the car, which are lower performance, are almost always Chinese. We offer a more premium product, with a local warranty. All are Type 2, and the difference in alternating current is the connector. With the cable in the car, you can use it to charge GB/T or Type 2 in AC, as it is the same charger, only the tip of the cable changes.

What becomes much more complicated is with DC (direct current); the AC adapter costs $200, whereas the DC adapter costs $2,000. Manufacturers do not provide the DC adapters because they do not want drivers to use those converters, as there is electronics and power involved, and the signals that travel through those connectors must work correctly.

Electric car charging, increasingly affordable

– M2G specialises in photovoltaic energy. How does this business integrate with electric vehicle charging?

– Often, someone who installs solar panels at home also puts in a heat pump and has an electric car, and they ask, “Hey, can you install a charger?”

Or, in a building being constructed, there is a need to install chargers for units already sold with electric cars.

This is a growing business. People are electrifying their consumption; previously, cars here in Uruguay were gasoline-powered, but now almost everyone has an electric car, mainly because the cost of charging has dropped significantly.

By making this switch, you reduce fuel expenses by about 20 times, it’s impressive.

– How does this savings calculation work?

– Charging at night in Montevideo, at home, costs 20 times less than what you would spend on gasoline. That is, if you used to spend $100 for 400 km, which is approximately the cost of a 40-litre tank in Uruguay, now with $5 (which is 200 pesos), you can drive the same distance with the electric car.

Energy is very cheap at night, and if you also install solar panels and generate your own energy for charging, everything fits together.

– Where does the Uruguayan electric vehicle market stand right now?

– Since the charging point is generally at home, there is no need to request an increase in power from the distributor. Now, we start to think about bringing spare parts, which is typical of a slightly more mature market, as most cars are Chinese. It’s about considering the after-sales service of the car dealerships.

There is also increasing demand for parking lots with electric vehicle chargers.

The same companies that rent office spaces and parking lots call us, and we make agreements, but the investments are made by the developers of the offices; they buy the equipment and installation for the charging points from us.

– What are Move to Green’s expectations for the next few years?

– We are well-focused on energy efficiency for homes, businesses, and industries, aiming to reduce operating costs for companies in the agricultural sector.

For example, we are working on photovoltaic irrigation. We are also focused on lowering costs for large consumers such as hotels and clubs, and from that, we plan to consolidate business units related to sustainable mobility, such as the use of heat pumps, which are widely used in Uruguay: replacing gas for water heating with heat pumps.

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