Brazil: electric motor vehicle registrations 2006-2023

Electric and hybrid vehicle sales in Brazil soared significantly in 2023. That year, over 94,000 units were sold in the South American country, an increase of 88.7 percent in comparison to the previous year. In turn, an accumulated 222,608 units have been sold in Brazil since 2006.

An environmentally conscious choice

The growth in electric and hybrid vehicles sales can be considered a success story by any standard, but this result becomes even more impressive when considering the automotive industry landscape in 2020. Amid restricted mobility and economic insecurities resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, new light vehicle registrations in Brazil registered a year-over-year drop of more than 26 percent, and have struggled to recover since then. Nonetheless, the performance of electric vehicles in the South American country seems aligned with a growing sustainability awareness within the population. According to a survey conducted in March 2020, around two thirds of Brazilians were willing to replace their own vehicle for a cleaner mode of transportation.

Which brands move Brazilians?

While Tesla was the second best-selling brand in the global electric vehicle market in 2023, with over 1.21 million units sold, the company run by Elon Musk has so far failed to dazzle Brazilians at the same level. That year, Swedish manufacturer Volvo took the lead in the country, with its XC40 ranking as the best-selling electric vehicle model in Brazil. Caoa Chery's iCar followed in close second. Meanwhile, Tesla’s models lagged behind, not securing a spot in the top 10. BYD, the current global market leader, faired better than its American competitor in Brazil, but did not make it into the ten best-selling models that year.