Exploring scenarios for the possibility of developing design and production competencies of electrical vehicles in Brazil

The aim of this study is to analyse, under the theoretical foundation of institutional and evolutionary theory, what kind of conditions would be necessary to enable market and develop competencies for electrical vehicles development in Brazil, and the assessment of possible future scenarios. Literature, secondary data documents as well as research on patent basis and interviews with relevant actors of the sector were performed, trying to map and to prospect what kind of competencies are being developed in the country. Results showed that are some small movements made towards the development of electrical mobility in the country, mainly outside traditional automotive sector, but they lack strong coordination and the support from public policies. A possible strategy, with the development of specific products, such as small urban vehicles or applications such as buses or utility vehicles, could be one way to start the development path to a local stronger industry in the near future.

[1]  M. Tushman,et al.  Technological Discontinuities and Organizational Environments , 1986 .

[2]  Marcos Amatucci,et al.  The Brazilian biofuel alternative , 2010 .

[3]  Roberto Marx,et al.  The importance of locally commanded design for the consolidation of local supply chain: the concept of design headquarters , 2009, Int. J. Manuf. Technol. Manag..

[4]  Roberto Marx,et al.  A comprehensive study of the transformation of the Brazilian automotive industry , 2002 .

[5]  F. Geels,et al.  Typology of sociotechnical transition pathways , 2007 .

[6]  Luiz Carlos Bresser-Pereira,et al.  The Dutch disease and its neutralization: a Ricardian approach , 2008 .

[7]  W. Arthur,et al.  INCREASING RETURNS AND LOCK-IN BY HISTORICAL EVENTS , 1989 .

[8]  Michel Freyssenet,et al.  Three possible scenarios for cleaner automobiles , 2011 .

[9]  Chris Kimble,et al.  Leapfrogging to electric vehicles: patterns and scenarios for China’s automobile industry , 2011 .

[10]  James M. Utterback,et al.  Dominant Designs and the Survival of Firms , 1995 .

[11]  M. Tushman,et al.  Technological Discontinuities and Dominant Designs: A Cyclical Model of Technological Change , 1990 .

[12]  Hailong Wang,et al.  Delivering discontinuous innovation through modularity: The case of Chinese electric vehicle industry , 2011, 2011 Proceedings of PICMET '11: Technology Management in the Energy Smart World (PICMET).

[13]  Axel Villareal,et al.  The social construction of the market for electric cars in France: politics coming to the aid of economics , 2011 .

[14]  F. Geels From sectoral systems of innovation to socio-technical systems: Insights about dynamics and change from sociology and institutional theory , 2004 .

[15]  R. Kemp,et al.  Evolutionary approaches for sustainable innovation policies: From niche to paradigm? , 2009 .

[16]  Wrong Forecasts and Unexpected Changes: the World that Changed the Machine , 2009 .

[17]  Heike Proff,et al.  What will happen to Brazilian automotive subsidiaries after their parent companies make the transition to electric mobility , 2011 .