Plataformas digitales y autos eléctricos: nueva puerta de acceso a tecnologías limpias en América Latina

A briefing by the Centro de Movilidad Sostenible (CMS) examines how digital platforms like Alibaba are being used by consumers and governments in Latin America and the Caribbean to bypass traditional automotive distribution barriers and import electric vehicles directly from China.

• In parts of Latin America and the Caribbean, the adoption of electric vehicles is hindered by high prices, limited supply, and a lack of official distributors in smaller markets.
• Consumers are using digital platforms such as Alibaba to import electric vehicles directly from China to access models unavailable locally or to reduce costs. In one instance in Costa Rica, an electromechanical engineer imported a Kia EV5 via Alibaba, resulting in a cost approximately 50% lower than the estimated local market value, despite a process lasting over six months involving WhatsApp negotiations and international transfers.
• Institutional adoption of direct digital imports is also occurring; the government of Antigua and Barbuda used Alibaba to acquire nine electric buses for its transport system after failing to find regional providers that met technical and budgetary requirements.
• While digital platforms democratize access to clean technologies and reduce historical barriers, they introduce significant challenges regarding the guarantee of technical services, spare parts, warranties, and safety and quality standards.

APA

Castillo, M., & Inostroza, Y. (2026). Plataformas digitales y autos eléctricos: nueva puerta de acceso a tecnologías limpias en América Latina. Centro de Movilidad Sostenible. https://cmsostenible.org/plataformas-digitales-y-autos-electricos-nueva-puerta-de-acceso-a-tecnologias-limpias-en-america-latina/

Chicago

Castillo, Marcela, and Yanina Inostroza. Plataformas digitales y autos eléctricos: nueva puerta de acceso a tecnologías limpias en América Latina. Centro de Movilidad Sostenible, 2026. https://cmsostenible.org/plataformas-digitales-y-autos-electricos-nueva-puerta-de-acceso-a-tecnologias-limpias-en-america-latina/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Castillo |first1=Marcela |last2=Inostroza |first2=Yanina |title=Plataformas digitales y autos eléctricos: nueva puerta de acceso a tecnologías limpias en América Latina |publisher=Centro de Movilidad Sostenible |date=19 May 2026 |url=https://cmsostenible.org/plataformas-digitales-y-autos-electricos-nueva-puerta-de-acceso-a-tecnologias-limpias-en-america-latina/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{castillo2026plataformas, author = {Castillo, Marcela and Inostroza, Yanina}, title = {{Plataformas digitales y autos eléctricos: nueva puerta de acceso a tecnologías limpias en América Latina}}, institution = {Centro de Movilidad Sostenible}, year = {2026}, month = may, url = {https://cmsostenible.org/plataformas-digitales-y-autos-electricos-nueva-puerta-de-acceso-a-tecnologias-limpias-en-america-latina/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }