The Eolo electric car, manufactured in Colombia, was finally taken out of the yards: how was it made?

Several weeks ago, the electric car Eolo, manufactured in Colombia, made headlines when it was immobilized by traffic police and sent to the yards. Although at the time it seemed that its stay there would be indefinite, its manufacturers managed to get it out.

After days of tensions and obstacles, Eolo Motors, the Colombian firm developing the Supercargo electric utility car, finally managed to remove the vehicle from the Bogotá traffic yards, news that went unnoticed in the media.

This victory represents a significant step forward for the 100% nationally created project, which had been retained for not having license plates or registration in the National Traffic Registry (RUNT).

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Eolo electric car: RUNT circular allowed it to circulate

The retention of the prototype, last July 10, generated a media stir and unleashed a series of legal actions by the leader of Eolo Motors, Javier Roldán. This entrepreneur from Bogota filed a tutela action against the Secretariat of Mobility of Bogota, the RUNT and the Ministry of Transportation.

In the tutela, Roldán relied on a RUNT circular that allowed his circulation, which was ignored at the roadblock.

The media mobilization generated around the roadblock was fundamental to the progress of the case. After several days, the Minister of Transportation became interested in the issue and asked his legal and traffic directors to take measures to resolve the situation.

On Wednesday, August 2, the documents proving the ownership of the vehicle were presented to the Secretariat of Mobility of Bogota and, finally, the Eolo Supercargo was released from the yards, although it still cannot move freely on the roads of Colombia.

One of the commitments established between the Ministry of Transportation and Eolo Motors is to keep the vehicle in storage while a restricted mobility permit is being processed to allow the Supercargo to continue testing. In addition, other important aspects are still pending, such as the enactment of a resolution regulating electric quadricycles and the process for registering this type of vehicles in the country.

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What challenges do entrepreneurs in this sector face in Colombia?

Last Tuesday, Javier Roldán had the opportunity to meet with the legal and transit directors of the Ministry of Transportation. During the meeting, Roldán explained the difficulties faced by entrepreneurs of this type in the country, pointing out that there are currently no guarantees for registering nationally produced vehicles.

As a result of the meeting, the Ministry of Transport committed to release the Eolo Supercargo and to speed up the entry into force of a resolution regulating electric quadricycles and their different uses, including cargo, to which the vehicle in question belongs. Previously scheduled for 2025, this resolution will come into force before the end of 2023.

This management not only benefits the Eolo Motors project, but also other ventures working on the creation of electric cars in Colombia. In this regard, the leader of the company, Javier Roldán, stressed the importance of the commitments made by the Ministry being effectively fulfilled in order to promote the development of innovation and electric mobility in the country.

What is the Eolo electric car?

The Eolo Supercargo electric car is an electric utility quadricycle, created in Colombia. This prototype seeks to fill the gap between motorcycles and conventional gasoline-powered vans.

The purpose of its creators is to solve the needs of most companies, with products at low prices.

Sales of new electric cars have fallen

This year, sales of new vehicles have been on a downward trend. In May, sales fell 30% compared to the same month last year, with only 15,695 new vehicles registered in the country. The figure, provided by the National Association of Sustainable Mobility (Andemos), is part of a downward trend that has been going on for several months.

Regarding the electric vehicle segment, the results have been similar. In May of this year, 242 new vehicles of this type were registered, that is, 25% less than in the same month last year.

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