Hybrid cars in Colombia: their import has a limited quota – Sectors – Economy

The ‘Sustainable electric mobility strategy’ advances with the handbrake on. It is not otherwise explained that, while on the one hand the State seeks to massify the use of vehicles that are more friendly to the environment, on the other hand it puts sticks in the wheel of that transition.

This policy, which has among its objectives to reduce carbon emissions by 51 percent by 2030, suffers a short circuit caused by the State itself, which set a quota of 3,000 units for the import of hybrids, a decision that ignores the reality of the market and the appetite of the clientele for this type of vehicleof which only last year 24,571 were sold, a growth of 49.8 percent compared to 2021. Of these, 22,141 units correspond to the so-called mild hybrid.

As a way to encourage the purchase of this type of car, through a decree it will be extended that they will pay a 5 percent tariff, and although the quotas were released in 2021, they were set again at 3,000 since last year and until 2027.

This means that, on paper, a good part of the imported ones are punished with the tariff and the highest VAT, that is, they are more expensive. This throws overboard a good part of the arguments of public officials who at the time supported the reduction of the tariff not only in «facilitating the market and for consumers», the «enormous environmental and energy benefits», and the «Contribution to the health of Colombians».

In addition, the hybrids that are within the quota pay five percent VAT and the same consumption tax depending on the FOB value, 8 or 16 percent, that is, if the threshold of 30,000 dollars in force since the year is exceeded or not. 2007.

Hybrid vehicles, which work with a gasoline engine and an electric one and which are called to make the transition from the use of fossil fuels to clean energy will not only suffer from these limitations. On Thursday, January 2, during the day without a car in Bogotá, they were prohibited from driving. In Medellín, last year the mayor Daniel Quintero tried to take away the exemption from the pick and plate, arguing that having a gasoline engine also contaminates, which is a half-truth because he is unaware of the efforts of manufacturers to reduce emissions. since most comply with the euro 5 standard, which is quite demanding in this matter.

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And beyond the debate as to whether Colombians buy these cars to avoid restrictions such as the pico y placa –an idea that is not ruled out in Bogotá or Medellín–, or because of the high cost of gasoline, the truth is also that by existing a legal loophole in the definition of a ‘hybrid’ vehicle, manufacturers take advantage of this gap to sell cars with technologies that have differences in their operation, but that mix electric and internal combustion engines, without all of them contributing real and significant reductions in the emissions that make them deserving of these tax levies.

Hence, in addition to reviewing the cap on the quotas, as the brands have unsuccessfully requested, it would be well worth it for the Government to clarify the matter so that importers and users know what to expect and that they also have clear rules.

Dian has been in these since last year, when they found the differences in the operation of hybrids and the real impact of their emissions; And of course, for them the most important thing is to define if all hybrids deserved the same discount treatment or if this should be proportional depending on the type of technology they offered.

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The truth is To date, nothing has been decided since when they informed the importers that they would review and carry out a correct tariff verification based on the characteristics of the technical data sheet of the hybrid vehicles.

The only thing that is known unofficially is that it has not allowed some brands to sell as hybrids vehicles that barely have the minimum technical conditions to be classified as stories, better known as Mild Hybrids or light hybrids.

How hybrid is your car?

The Dictionary of the Royal Academy defines the word hybrid-da, in its fourth perception as “Said of an engine and, by extension, of a vehicle. That it can run on both fuel and electricity.”
«From a technical point of view, a hybrid that does not run with an electric motor is only a cart,» says José Clopatofsky, director of the magazine Engine.

So far it couldn’t be clearer. However, the industry offers several technologies: HEV: Hybrid Electric Vehicle (Hybrid Electric Vehicle); BEV: Battery Electric Vehicle (Battery Electric Vehicle)

PHEV: Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) and more recently, the E-REV: Extended Range Electric Vehicle (Extended Range Electric Vehicle).

This number of acronyms tries to make the difference between vehicle technologies that depend on the type of combustion engines, the capacity of electric motors and even more on the size and capacity of the batteries, but, above all, on the way in which they store and conserve energy to transfer it to the wheels.

The controversy over tariffs arises precisely because of another derivation of hybrid vehicles, the so-called mild hybrids or light hybrids.since its impulse comes entirely from a combustion engine, which is accompanied by a battery and a small electric generator, which provides a slight support to the march.

The HEV: Hybrid Electric Vehicle (Hybrid Electric Vehicle) are conventional hybrids, which are not plug-in, that is, they do not need to recharge their batteries connected to an electrical power source.

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They move mainly thanks to a combustion engine (gasoline or diesel) and have a battery and a small electric motor that serve as support at times such as when starting or in strong acceleration. They can walk in fully electric mode, although for a short time and over very short distances (less than 30 kilometers). In practical terms, what they do is ‘stretch’ the time between one tanking and another. Its battery is recharged thanks to the braking energy recovery system (regenerative braking) and the thermal engine.

PHEVs: Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle), unlike the previous ones, do need an external power source. They also work mainly thanks to the combustion engine, they can have one or more electric motors, and larger capacity batteries that are recharged by plugging it into the electrical network.

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Having higher capacity (larger) batteries gives them greater autonomy in electric mode, which depending on the model can reach 50 or more kilometers. This type of car allows a certain autonomy, circulating without emissions and in silence, and at the same time it has a combustion engine, which is why they are classified as the true managers of the transition from fossil fuels to clean energy.

In plug-in hybrids, when you drive in electric mode, but at some point more power is needed, the combustion engine starts up and the electric one is disconnected. But also under strong acceleration, the electric motor(s) work in parallel with the heat engine to offer maximum performance. Among these are models such as Hyundai IONIQ, Mitsubishi Outlander and DS7 Crossback E-Tense.

Finally, there are the E-REV: Extended Range Electric Vehicle (Extended Range Electric Vehicle). These have a battery, an electric motor and a combustion or heat engine, but the latter does not move the car. This only powers the batteries when their charge starts to drop. An example with these characteristics is the Nissan X Trail e-Power.

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