Fitzgerald Cantero Piali, Director of Studies, Projects and Information at the Latin American Energy Organization (OLADE), carried out an academic agenda at the Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL), where he delivered the keynote lecture “Impact of the Energy Transition and Electric Mobility” to authorities, faculty, and students of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Production Sciences.
During his presentation, Cantero outlined the regional panorama of electromobility and highlighted that, according to OLADE’s 2024 map, Ecuador ranks seventh in two key indicators:
- Among the Latin American and Caribbean countries with the highest number of electric buses in circulation (106 units).
- Among the countries with the largest charging station networks (144 points).
Cantero stressed that the transition to electric mobility requires not only infrastructure and technology but also “a cultural change”, which involves citizens adopting practices such as charging vehicles at home.
On the technical side, he noted that in an internal combustion vehicle, between 15% and 84% of the energy is lost, whereas in an electric vehicle, the loss is only 11%. This is further supported by the region’s potential to generate electricity from renewable sources such as hydropower, solar, and wind.
He also emphasized that Ecuador already has an advanced legal framework to facilitate the incorporation of electric vehicles.
Juan Peralta, coordinator of the Master’s in Energy Systems at ESPOL and member of the National Committee on Energy Efficiency, stressed that upgrading transformers “will be an essential component to ensure capacity and supply quality,” and that tax incentives could accelerate the adoption of this technology.
OLADE’s participation in this space reinforces its commitment to promoting policies and actions that advance a fair, sustainable, and inclusive energy transition in the region.
