At COP30 in Belém, the Traton Group and Volkswagen Truck & Bus announced the launch of the e-Dutra corridor, Brazil’s first zero-emission freight route connecting Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. The initiative unites logistics companies, infrastructure providers, and government partners under a joint effort to decarbonize heavy-duty transportation in one of South America’s busiest freight corridors.
Volkswagen Truck & Bus, one of the key initiators of the project, recently completed the first electric truck trip along the 800-kilometre route between Resende and Sorocaba in partnership with the LOTS Group. The journey used existing charging infrastructure to evaluate the corridor’s current readiness and identify further infrastructure requirements for scaling up zero-emission freight operations.
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The e-Dutra project forms part of the Global Green Road Corridors initiative, which seeks to establish a framework for sustainable logistics across Latin America. By aggregating demand among fleet operators and coordinating public and private investment, the initiative aims to reduce financial risks associated with infrastructure deployment while promoting the broader use of battery-electric trucks.
Andreas Follér, Chief Sustainability Officer at Traton, said that while the path to electrification is challenging, projects like e-Dutra are critical to accelerating progress. Volkswagen Truck & Bus President and CEO Roberto Cortes highlighted that the company’s participation reflects its commitment to developing sustainable transport solutions and fostering collaboration across industries to build smarter, more efficient mobility systems.
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The e-Dutra coalition includes Traton Group and Volkswagen Truck & Bus, alongside partners such as the Smart Freight Centre, CALSTART, The Climate Pledge, C40 Cities, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, the International Council for Clean Transportation, and WRI Brasil.
Volkswagen Truck & Bus — also known as Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus (VWCO) — began producing the all-electric e-Delivery in Brazil in 2021 and remains the country’s only manufacturer of electric buses. Traton added that DHL Supply Chain, Amazon, and Scania have also started operating electric freight routes in the region, signalling growing momentum toward zero-emission logistics across Brazil.