In Brazil, the electric transition marked a milestone in January 2025: 14.6% of the cars sold were some electrified variant, almost double that of the same month in 2025, when that percentage was 7.9%.
The neighboring country thus consolidates its place as a regional leader in electromobility, driven by a growing supply, local production, and active incentive policies.
Brazil: a market that shifts gears
However, the electric transition of cars does not progress evenly across different technologies.
According to economist Rafael Skiadaressis, the electrified market in Brazil is distributed as follows:
- Pure Electric (BEV): 35% of the total electrified
- Plug-in Hybrids (PHEV): 35%
- Conventional Hybrids (HEV): 15%
- Flex Hybrids (HEV Flex): 15%
The plug-in models —pure electric and plug-in hybrids— account for 75% of the electrified market, compared to 25% for traditional hybrids.
This data reflects a clear preference: Brazilian consumers choose technologies that depend less on fossil fuels.
BYD, the industrial factor behind the electric transition of cars in Brazil
A central player in this electric transition is BYD. The Chinese firm acquired the historic industrial complex that belonged to Ford in Camaçari and assembles its cars and electric vehicles there.
The impact was so significant that local authorities renamed the traditional Henry Ford Avenue as BYD Avenue, a gesture that synthesizes the change of era in the Brazilian automotive industry.
The installation of new plants expanded the available supply and boosted the internal market, which has a sufficient scale to absorb the growth stemming from the electric transition of cars.
Consumers, for their part, are turning to these models attracted by lower operational costs and greater energy efficiency.
Cars in Argentina, in an earlier phase of the electric transition
While Brazil accelerates its transition, Argentina is in an initial stage. The local market shows signs of expansion, but the share of electric cars in total sales remains low.
Three factors explain this lag:
- The high price of electrified models
- The lack of charging infrastructure
- The absence of local mass production
However, the Brazilian advance can have an indirect effect. Regional industrial integration facilitates the entry of new models and technologies into the Argentine market.
This process could accelerate local adoption in the coming years and bring the country closer to more efficient and sustainable mobility.
The electric transition of cars is no longer a future promise in the region: in Brazil, it is a transformation that progresses with concrete data every month.
