• The Central American Electric Route is organized by the Costa Rican Electric Mobility Association and promotes the creation of a network of fast and semi-rapid chargers.

• Caravan traveled 1,800 kilometers in alliance with the Central American Bank for Economic Integration, the European Union and the German Government, through KfW within the framework of the Green MSMEs Initiative; BAC, ENEL X Way, Evergo, Uber and ONU.

 

 

November 2022. After traveling 1,158 kilometers, a dozen electric vehicles arrived in Costa Rica without using a single drop of fuel, on the so-called Central American Electric Route.

 

The caravan It had its starting flag on November 4 in Guatemala City, from that moment on it has toured the Central American territory, passing through El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua.

 

Today the caravan left from the CABEI facilities in San Pedro de Montes de Oca, towards Panama, the country where this route will end.

 

The Route is organized by the Costa Rican Electric Mobility Association (ASOMOVE) with the support of representatives of the private sector and governments from across the region. Its objective is to promote electric mobility throughout Central America, to grow as a regional market.

 

"This route shows that Central America is committed to 100% electric mobility. The efforts we have made working as a team tell the world that the region is ready to start moving using renewable energy. We are very happy with the reception we have had and the interest of people to learn about electric vehicles," said Silvia Rojas, Executive Director of Asomove.

 

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This activity seeks to promote the creation of a network of fast and semi-fast chargers that will connect the 6 Central American countries, while promoting the creation of tax incentives to promote the inclusion of more electric models.

 

Continuous work between the private sector and government authorities has made it possible to promote the benefits and scope of electric mobility and show Costa Rica as a regional leader in the energy transition process, with a solid electric charging network on the main transportation routes. .

 

The country currently has 5,813 electric vehicles, of which 3,468 are cars, 1,034 are motorcycles and 1,311 are special equipment. In Costa Rica there is already a robust charging network with 49 fast charging points and about 150 semi-fast charging points.

 

 

Allies of the Central American Electric Route. The allies that make the event possible are the Central American Bank for Economic Integration, the European Union, the German Government through KfW, through its Green MSMEs Initiative; BAC, ENEL X Way, Evergo, Uber and ONU.

 

The executive president of CABEI, Dr. Dante Mossi, highlighted: “transitioning towards efficient and less polluting transportation models is something that at CABEI we are promoting with special emphasis to achieve cleaner and more orderly cities that improve the quality of life of Central Americans. ", so this activity is of great relevance to raise awareness in each of the countries through which the caravan will mobilize."

 

Jutta Urpilainen, European Commissioner for International Partnerships: “The European Union seeks to promote intelligent, but also clean and safe links with and between its partners at a global level in sectors such as transport, energy, and digital. The new Global Gateway Strategy is the hand we extend to build sustainable infrastructure and create peer-to-peer partnerships. This ambition reflects our long-term commitment to sustainable recovery in each of our partner countries.”

 

Aligned with this project, BAC wants to promote sustainable mobility in the region and the promotion of the Central American Electric Route through the installation of more than 30 free semi-fast charging stations located in the main branches. The leading bank in the region has set the goal of reimagining banking and the commitment to generate triple positive value - economic, social and environmental. “At BAC we want to provide the necessary infrastructure to stimulate the transition to clean energy and strengthen the global movement against climate change. We want to create positive value for the environment, our clients and society. This route is one more step on the path to becoming a Net Positive Bank,” commented Gisela Sánchez, regional director of Strategy and Corporate Relations at BAC. 

 

For its part, Uber joins this great event and projects the use of zero-emission vehicles in the region.  “At Uber we are committed to sustainable mobility, our goal is that by 2040, 100% of the trips made on the platform will be zero emissions. It is a long road, but we began it by sharing with ASOMOVE the work of demystifying the use of electric vehicles to support a prompt transition of collaborating partners to zero-emission vehicles,” said Carolina Coto, Senior Communications Manager for Central America and the Caribbean at Uber.

 

 

“The Central American Electric Route shows us that it is possible to travel long distances with highly autonomous electric vehicles, contributing to a greener future. At Evergo, we facilitate users' transition to electric mobility by connecting them with a more sustainable future. “We are very happy to join in and offer state-of-the-art chargers that will allow us to move in a sustainable, safe and reliable way from our entrance to the province of Chiriquí to Panama City,” said Norberto Cusatti, Evergo Panama Commercial Manager.

 

"As Enel of chargers, offering convenience for users throughout the region,” said Mauricio Miranda Head of electric mobility, Enel Colombia and Central America.

 

"In the midst of the climate crisis in which we find ourselves, the world needs solutions that, in addition to confronting global warming, contribute to economic growth. In terms of electric mobility, Latin America and the Caribbean is showing a path. Today it creates jobs and generates new business models around the deployment of this technology, the Central American e-ride is proof of this. I am convinced that the region has become a pole generating know-how and an important actor in climate cooperation, not only south-south but also south-north", Gustavo Mañez, deputy regional director of the United Nations Environment Programme.

 

The Green MSMEs Initiative is a tripartite Initiative of the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) as executing entity, the Government of Germany through KfW and the European Union, as part of its Latin American Investment Facility (LAIF), with the common purpose of contributing to the protection of the climate and the environment, through Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) in the Republics of Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. These resources are used to promote the development of small renewable energy, energy efficiency and cleaner production projects, as well as their financing, through Intermediary Financial Institutions (IFIs).

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