Eletra announced an investment of BRL 40 million (approximately US$ 7 million) to expand its factory in São Bernardo do Campo (SP) and build a new in-house chassis assembly line. The initiative will transform Eletra into a full-fledged chassis manufacturer, rather than relying solely on chassis supplied by partners.
With the expansion, annual production capacity of electric bus chassis is expected to increase from 1,800 to 3,000 units. The company will combine mechanical chassis platforms — still supplied by Mercedes‑Benz or Scania — with in-house electrification using components from WEG (motors, inverters, batteries). The chassis will cover a range of vehicle types: from midi-buses (≈ 11.5 m) to standard and articulated buses (12–13 m, 20–23 m), all with low floor and expected autonomy between 250–350 km. Eletra plans to capture both domestic demand and export markets in Latin America.
Source: AutoData Read The Article
PSR Analysis: The investment consolidates Eletra’s position as a vertically integrated producer of electric bus chassis in Brazil, offering greater control over pricing, supply chain and production flexibility. By internalizing chassis assembly and electrification, Eletra reduces dependence on bus OEMs, which may lower costs and improve responsiveness to market demand. The projected capacity increase to 3,000 chassis per year positions the company to scale with growing demand, but success depends on projected demand for electric buses. PSR
Fabio Ferraresi is Director, Business Development, South America, for Power Systems Research
