Best Practices in Electric Vehicle Transition: Lessons from Latin America

Introduction

In Latin America, the transition to clean last-mile logistics is gaining momentum. Emissions reductions targets aligned with global climate goals, combined with pressing urban challenges such as air pollution, traffic congestion, and social inequality, have encouraged accelerated progress. Cities across the region are emerging as laboratories for innovative, inclusive, and locally adapted electric mobility solutions.

Unlike many Global North contexts, Latin American efforts often rely on public-private partnerships, shared fleets, local manufacturing, and inclusive finance models to overcome cost and access barriers. This pragmatic approach is reducing emissions, strengthening regional supply chains, and expanding access to sustainable livelihoods.

The following case studies from Colombia and Mexico highlight how logistics operators, industrial producers, and cleantech innovators are accelerating the EV transition at scale. These examples demonstrate that with the right alliances and strategies, large-scale emissions reduction is achievable even in markets with constrained infrastructure or investment.

Bavaria + Renting (Colombia)

Electric Mobility at Industrial Scale: Clean and Replicable Urban Distribution

Since 2019, beverage distributor Bavaria has led the electrification of Colombia’s logistics sector through a bold and innovative strategy. It began with pilot programs involving 12 electric trucks (Stärk and Sitom models with 3.1 and 11-ton capacities), aiming to reach 200 operational EVs between 2021 and 2022 (20% of its distribution fleet). By 2024, Bavaria had surpassed its goal, with over 200 electric trucks in operation, consolidating the largest electric fleet in the country dedicated to urban supply.

This model has contributed to a 23% reduction in the carbon footprint per beer produced and is part of Bavaria’s ambitious roadmap toward carbon neutrality by 2040–ten years ahead of the Paris Agreement.

Best Practices

Replicable Financial-Operational Partnership: The collaboration with Renting Colombia (part of the financial Grupo Bancolombia) removed technological entry barriers, enabling a scalable transition from pilot projects to a robust electric fleet without requiring large capital investments from Bavaria. This model is easily replicable for distribution companies in other countries seeking electrification without major financial commitments.
Open Pilots to Validate and Promote: Bavaria invited other companies and industries to participate in electric vehicle testing programs, showcasing technical capacity, operational profitability, and real efficiency in freight logistics. This openness has helped debunk myths and ease adoption by third parties, building trust in the Colombian market.
Institutional Visibility and Systemic Commitment: The official launch of its transformation was made alongside high-ranking national government officials, positioning Bavaria as a key player in Colombia’s energy transition. In addition, its “Eclipse” program engages over 25 suppliers in an effort to decarbonize the value chain, aligning with the country’s sustainable mobility strategy.

Grupo Bimbo / Moldex (Mexico)

Regional Leadership in Fleet Electrification with Industrial and Environmental Impact

By the end of 2024, Grupo Bimbo operates over 4,200 electric vehicles across Mexico and Latin America, consolidating the largest electric delivery fleet on the continent.5 In Mexico alone, it has 2,355 EV units surpassing its 2024 target of 2,500 and a global fleet of more than 6,198 low-emission vehicles using alternative fuels.6 Each EV prevents approximately 5 tons of CO₂ emissions annually. Additionally, 97% of the electricity used globally by Bimbo comes from renewable sources, thanks to initiatives like the Piedra Larga wind farm and over 150,000 m² of solar panels installed since 2025.

Best Practices

Local Design, In-House Production, and Industrial Scale: Moldex, Bimbo’s Mexican subsidiary, has developed vehicles locally, such as the Vekstar Stellar (with 1,300 kg of payload capacity and 130 km of range), along with JAC e10x models, Scania trucks, and BYD semi-trailers. This national approach ensures control over technology, cost, and operational sustainability.
Integrated Renewable Infrastructure: At least 35 eco-distribution centers are already operational in Mexico, equipped with solar energy, rainwater harvesting, and natural lighting technologies. These facilities serve as charging and maintenance hubs for the electric fleet, while also showcasing the company’s environmental commitment in logistics.
Climate Governance with Technological Diversity: Grupo Bimbo has established a Sustainable Mobility Committee to monitor the progress of its fleet while integrating other technologies into current planning. They are currently using a diverse mix of vehicle types, reflecting a pragmatic, cross-cutting strategy that enables a flexible and orderly energy transition on the way to 100% zero emission vehicles

VEMO (Mexico)

Cleantech Redefining Comprehensive Electric Mobility

Since its founding in 2021 in Mexico City, VEMO has become a key player in electric mobility across Latin America, offering an integrated model that combines electric fleets, charging infrastructure, and operational data management. By the end of 2023, the company operated more than 630 EVs, had driven over 57 million EV kilometers, and avoided 10,813 tons of CO₂ equivalent emissions in Mexico City alone accounting for 36% of its total emissions reductions that year.

Its public charging network, the most robust in the country, has surpassed 600 installed stations, with a charging capacity of 60 MW, delivering more than 40,000 sessions per month via its “Watts by VEMO” app.10 Additionally, in 2024 the VEMO University trained over 13,000 drivers in electromobility, totaling 152,700+ hours of instruction.11 Its fintech arm, VEMO Impulso, has reached 1,820 clients, with more than 60% already using electric fleets.

Best Practices

Comprehensive EV Ecosystem for Corporate and Ride-Hailing Fleets: VEMO integrates BYD D1 vehicles (with over 400 km range), more than 600 charging stations, and its ZEE platform, which enables real-time fleet optimization based on battery levels, costs, routes, and performance.
Training and Human-Centered Approach for Clean Mobility: VEMO University has trained over 37,000 volunteer drivers, reducing fatigue-related incidents by 61% and improving operational safety and efficiency.
Scalability with Financial Inclusion: Through its partnership with BYD, VEMO deployed 1,000 D1 vehicles, creating over 3,000 formal jobs in sustainable mobility. Its fintech solution, VEMO Impulso, has become a gateway to asset ownership for unbanked independent drivers.

Lessons for EV Transition

In Latin America, public-private partnerships, local manufacturing, and inclusive finance have unlocked large-scale electrification even in constrained markets. Bavaria’s leasing model with Renting Colombia removed financial barriers for rapid fleet expansion, while Grupo Bimbo’s in-house EV production through Moldex demonstrated the benefits of domestic manufacturing for cost control and resilience. VEMO’s integrated fleet-charging-financing ecosystem shows how combining technology, in

frastructure, and driver training can deliver emissions reductions at scale.

From these examples emerges a clear path to action: pair financing innovation with operational partnerships, invest in local production capacity, and integrate charging infrastructure from the outset. The Latin American experience proves that with the right alliances, even markets with limited EV infrastructure can achieve significant emissions reductions and set the stage for long-term supply chain resilience.