Sao Paulo (ots /PRNewswire) – Just like US billionaire Elon Musk, Flávio Figueiredo Assis sold a financial sector company to invest in his own car company LECAR.
Entrepreneur Flávio Figueiredo Assis promises to make history with Brazil’s first electric car. He not only wants to help change the energy matrix and have a positive impact on the environment, but he also wants to change Brazil’s image in the world. He was inspired by billionaire Elon Musk, who has a similar career.
Assis has degrees in law and accounting and is the founder of Lecard, a food card administrator that has reported $1 billion in annual revenue and has served public institutions and private companies. In 2022 he sold the company with the aim of creating the first electric vehicle manufacturer in Brazil, LECAR. The company’s mission is to redefine Brazil’s presence on the international automotive scene through environmentally friendly vehicles that meet the needs of authorities and consumers.
The team currently consists of 30 engineers, many of whom have extensive experience at companies such as Ford, Toyota and Nissan. The plant will be built in the south of the country, with 65% of the components coming from within the country and 35% from abroad. The LECAR 459, the company’s first vehicle, will be equipped with batteries from Winston Battery, which also supplies Volkswagen and Hyundai. The retail price will be $55,000 and the range will be 400 km on a charge. The company also plans to launch LECAR POP, an affordable urban model with an estimated price of $20,000, a range of 250 km per charge and seating for five people.
The company owns 100% of the capital, but is expected to go public by 2025. The expected investment is 3 billion dollars. “In addition to a project that promotes mobility and sustainability, we also want to create a real appreciation for Brazil. We are the number 9 economy in the world and are known for our love of cars and Formula 1. Ayrton Senna, Nelson Piquet and Emerson Fittipaldi are Formula 1 world champions and our idols, yet the cars were never built in Brazil. We want to change the situation”, explains Assis.
But first, the car will undergo a series of approvals with LATIN NCAP in London, England, with impact, aerodynamics and safety simulator assessments. Production of the first vehicles is scheduled for December this year. The goal for 2025 is to produce 300 vehicles per month and thus generate a turnover of 200 million dollars.
In five years, LECAR wants to produce 50,000 cars a year and generate revenue of $15 billion. The company also wants to introduce a subscription plan to promote the concept of car sharing and therefore the most sustainable way of using the car. The basic subscription for the 36-month leasing plan is offered at approximately 3% of the retail price with a monthly mileage of 1,000 km.
Another key initiative concerns the infrastructure of charging points for electric cars. The company intends to install fast charging stations on the ten largest highways in Brazil, totaling 36,437 km in length. This would allow electric vehicles to cross the entire country. The stations will be strategically placed every 200 kilometers so that cars can be charged quickly, conveniently and safely.
In addition to operating throughout the national territory, the entrepreneur plans to internationalize his automotive production, particularly in the United States, France, Italy and Monaco. “We are already launching a number of partnerships in these countries to promote our brand globally.”
Additionally, LECAR plans to build a battery cell factory to be self-sufficient in automotive production. “97% of the minerals that make up battery cells are present in our country. Not only will we be self-sufficient, but we can also become players and an important reference in the global electric vehicle market, supplying cars to other countries. We are determined to make all this happen”, explains the entrepreneur proudly. Those interested can follow all the brand’s news on social media on @lecarbrasil.
Information about Lecar: www.lecar.com.br
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2024-01-23 12:58:10
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