“With fewer parts susceptible to wear and tear, electric vehicles have a much more balanced behavior, requiring fewer interventions, while generating enormous savings…”
Nelson Füchter Filho is the CEO of Fever Mobilidade and the Le Monde Group, with a degree in administration from the State University of Santa Catarina and a law degree from the Federal University of the State of Santa Catarina, with a postgraduate degree in finance from FGV and a specialization in business strategy from INSEAD.
Fever Mobilidade operates in the distribution of electric vehicles, and wants to earn US$ 390.4 million by 2027 with electric trucks for Brazilian farms.
Nelson Füchter Filho, CEO at Fever Mobilidade
AgriBrasilis – Why did you choose to sell electric vehicles for Brazilian farms?
Nelson Füchter – The agricultural sector is perhaps the place that will most feel the positive effects of the electrification of fleets, which carry out the heavy work on farms.
With the advancement of technology, electric mobility in commercial vehicles is causing a revolution in the way these machines coexist with workers, the environment and, mainly, in the financial spreadsheets of companies that have fleets.
There is a transition underway, which started with smaller machines such as forklifts, dollys and compact trucks. All of these vehicles are increasingly used on farms in Europe as “staff” fleets, which are vehicles that accompany large agricultural implements such as heavy-duty tractors and harvesters, for example.
“The agricultural sector is perhaps the place that will most feel the positive effects of the electrification of fleets”
In the management of most of these farms, there is also a constant circulation of diesel and gasoline pickup trucks, diesel tractors (the so-called green line), among other smaller vehicles that carry out the delivery of inputs, cleaning, maintenance and even the security of the farm.
The first reason to decide on an electric operating vehicle is the direct savings it generates in fuel, maintenance and inspection when compared to combustion vehicles. Because they have a more modern construction, electric vehicles have up to 70% fewer parts than a traditional vehicle. This happens because the vehicle moved by combustion requires several components, such as a thermal engine, gearbox, radiator, exhaust pipe, etc. All of this is replaced by a single part (electric motor).
With fewer parts susceptible to wear and tear, electric vehicles have a much more balanced behavior, requiring fewer interventions, while generating enormous savings. The total cost of ownership when comparing a small tractor to a small electric truck is up to 85% lower in favor of the electric truck, for example.
The second reason is productivity: electric vehicles are available for work much longer than combustion vehicles. Maintenance intervals are much longer and there are no problems with breakdowns or malfunctions of items such as the engine and gearbox.
Another aspect is workplace safety. To have a fleet of combustion vehicles, the farm needs to maintain a large fuel tank for fueling within the property. When including this item in your operational routine, the risk when fueling is high, as is the risk of storage itself. In relation to labor law, for example, with fuel tanks larger than 200 L in capacity (which is common), the farm owner will have to guarantee hazard pay to all professionals with access to the tank. In the case of an electric vehicle, only one socket is necessary or, at most, an installed charging station is required.
There is also an improvement in the general well-being of those who live and work with these machines. Unlike noisy and smoky tractors and pickup trucks, electric trucks do not emit gases, do not make any noise and do not emit vibrations for those driving them. Furthermore, they have an automatic transmission, reducing repetitive effort for the vehicle operator.
FEVER ALKÈ ATX 340 EH model. SOURCE: Fever Mobilidade
AgriBrasilis – Is there demand for this type of technology? What are the sales expectations for the short and medium term?
Nelson Füchter – Yes, there is a good demand. The transformation of mobility is happening in all markets and in agriculture it is no different. It was because of this fact that we decided to bring the FEVER ALKÈ line to Brazil.
The FEVER ALKÈ ATX 340 EH model began to be presented to potential customers from February of 2024 and the first tests have been encouraging. We hope to sell 50 units in 2024.
AgriBrasilis – How much does Fever expect to earn from the sale of electric vehicles for agriculture?
Nelson Füchter – Our planning indicates the potential for around 350 units by the end of 2027. Together with the line of electric tricycles and a third commercial vehicle that we will launch in the second half of this year, our revenue estimate is US$ 390.4 million by the end of 2027.
AgriBrasilis – You said that good acceptance is expected among fruit farmers in Brazil. Why?
Nelson Füchter – We are initially focusing on farms linked to fruits in general, and also on some crops such as coffee. We also focus on reforestation, paper and cellulose (pulp mills) and some types of lighter mining.
In Italy there are already many wineries that only use this type of vehicle. With the increasing demands of importers of Brazilian agricultural products regarding ESG, having a sustainable fleet will allow the farmer to gain many points in the evaluations, enabling better contracts and longevity in supply.
AgriBrasilis – Is the working power equivalent to that of diesel-powered vehicles?
Nelson Füchter – Yes, the electric vehicle has more torque than a combustion vehicle, working better when performing intermittent and low-speed tasks.
AgriBrasilis – The company’s electric vehicle is being tested on a farm in the State of Minas Gerais. What are the results so far? When will it be sold?
Nelson Füchter – We don’t have concrete data to reveal right now. What we can say is that we have already been approved on several farms to begin concept testing, which lasts longer.
We currently have units being tested at a stud farm in the State of Goiás, in a reforestation area in the State of Espírito Santo, and at a logistics operator in a port in the State of São Paulo.
AgriBrasilis – How much should a Fever electric vehicle cost? What are its benefits?
Nelson Füchter – The FEVER ALKÈ ATX 340 EH vehicle comes complete, including an aluminum cargo bed and preparation for agricultural implement applications, both at the rear and at the front.
Furthermore, it also has a differential lock (which makes it behave like a 4×4) and has an autonomy for 8 hours of hard, uninterrupted work.
Its load capacity is 1,600 kg combined with a capacity to drag an implement of up to 4.5 tonnes. It is a robust and reliable product.
It has a state-of-the-art 20kWh LFP (lithium-ion) battery, which can be charged in 3.5 hours.
A full charge of the vehicle costs around US$ 3.12, but if the farm already produces its own energy via photovoltaic panels, for example, the cost can be considered zero.
The price of the vehicle is approximately US$ 70,078.86 and can be financed in up to 60 months. In addition, we have subscription plans for 48 or 60 months starting at US$ 1.950,11, depending on the details of the operation.
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