Brazil is the worst prepared market for the development of projects related to autonomous vehicles, according to a report by KPMG. The country occupies the last position of a ranking of 25 nations. This compares to the 17th position held in last year's index. SEE: Autonomous vehicles and the enterprise (ZDNet/TechRepublic special feature) | Download the free PDF version (TechRepublic) According to KPMG, the situation in Brazil could have been improved with new incentive programs around vehicle efficiency, safety and research. The country has now been overtaken by other developing nations such as Russia, Mexico and India, but the firm's lead partner for government and infrastructure for Brazil and Latin America, Mauricio Endo, argues there is room for optimism. "There are some research and development projects underway at universities and, if the government can provide the right incentives and manufacturers can launch products at competitive prices, Brazilian consumers tend to adopt new technologies quickly, " Endo says. Four areas were used as criteria to determine the readiness of markets: politics and legislation, technology and innovation, infrastructure and consumer acceptance. According to the study, The Netherlands, Singapore and Norway are the world leaders in terms of readiness for autonomous vehicles, as governments focus on fostering transport modernization. However, a leap in autonomous travel could be in the horizon for Brazil: the country's aerospace conglomerate Embraer is one of the manufacturers behind Uber Air, the ride-hailing company's urban air mobility project planned for 2023. According to the company, electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles offerings could be offered in Brazil at an affordable cost and help relieve bottlenecks in large urban centers. Embraer wants its eVTOL offerings to eventually become autonomous and believes electric flight could be a reality in the Latin American country in the next five years.
Brazil has fallen from 17th to last in an annual list of 25 nations and their readiness for autonomous vehicles, compiled by KPMG. The report said the country had been ranked as one of the worst countries when it came to self-driving cars because its roads were not yet ready for them. KPMG said Brazil's position could improve with the introduction of government initiatives focused on vehicle efficiency, safety and research, while Brazilian firm Embraer said it believed affordable electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing vehicles could be available in the next five years.