Project Summary
The Laneshift City-Business Alliance in Rio de Janeiro is a pilot initiative designed to accelerate the electrification of urban freight and help the city move toward net-zero emissions by 2040. Led by the Laneshift Initiative—a collaboration between C40 Cities and The Climate Pledge—the project tests a new model for deploying shared charging infrastructure for electric freight vehicles.
At the heart of the project are two strategically located charging hubs that provide reliable, on-route charging for electric delivery vans and light trucks. Operated by Global MOU Endorser, EZ Volt, the hubs are designed to support the operational needs of freight fleets while demonstrating how charging infrastructure can enable a fair, scalable transition to zero-emission urban logistics.
The demonstration brings together companies through the Laneshift Charging Hub City–Business Alliance, a public-private partnership where fleets use the hubs to charge their vehicles while industry partners provide technical expertise to support the pilot and future expansion. During the pilot phase, participating fleets can access charging at no cost, enabling real-world testing and learning.
Over a three month trial period for the demonstration, three fleets: Hawk Transportes, Pralog, and Parceiro Spot utilized the two EZ Volt charging hubs in Avenida Brasil and Barra da Tijuca to support logistics operations. The following case study details the operational metrics, lessons learned, and strategic outcomes of the project.
This charging hub in Rio is part of the broader E-Dutra electrification strategy, designed to link Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo with a network of charging infrastructure for freight and logistics. The corridor runs along one of Brazil’s most vital trade routes, connecting Porto de Santos—the largest port in Latin America—to markets across the country and moving roughly half of Brazil’s GDP. E-Dutra is one of a dozen electric freight corridors now being developed globally through the Global Green Road Corridor Initiative.
