Somehow, Brazil’s planes are already a little more electric

The distributor Vibra, through its BR Aviation business unit, started the operation of its first all-electric Aircraft Supply Unit (UAA) at Guarulhos International Airport (SP). The debut of the battery-powered Volkswagen truck marks a major upgrade to the ground infrastructure of the country’s largest air terminal and meets the growing pressure for decarbonization in commercial aviation logistics operations.

According to the company’s projections, replacing the diesel engine with the electric propulsion in each truck avoids the emission of approximately 15 tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂) per year into the atmosphere – a volume equivalent to planting more than 50 trees. The equipment eliminates direct greenhouse gas emissions both during the runway and when pumping aviation kerosene into the aircraft tanks.

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What truck is this?

Vibra’s truck is a Volkswagen e-Delivery, the German’s main electric heavy vehicle in Brazil. There are versions of the e-Delivery that come with a Brazilian engine, from WEG, with up to 300 hp and an impressive 219.4 kgfm. The model has an estimated range of between 110 km and 250 km, depending on the battery capacity chosen for operation. At the airport’s pace, however, this number can exceed 300 km.

Despite the change in the energy matrix, the replenishment capacity has not changed. The new truck uses the electric power take-off system (e-PTO), a technology that ensures the same nominal flow rate of 300 gallons per minute (GPM) as conventional combustion models. In practice, this ensures that fueling time remains the same, avoiding delays in the airlines’ ground schedule.

The newly activated truck in Guarulhos is the first of a batch of three electric units that will be integrated into Vibra’s fleet at the São Paulo airport by July 2026. The company’s expansion plan also foresees the delivery of two other vehicles to the Brasília International Airport.

The initiative follows a project that began in the North region, when the company implemented the first electric supply truck in Latin America at the airport of Manaus (AM). The strategy seeks to unify zero-emission logistics with the offer of cleaner products, preparing the infrastructure for the future distribution of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).