ON THIS STAND, IN SANTA MARIA DA FEIRA, THERE IS ONLY 100% ELECTRIC CARS

In an old house on the national highway nr. 1, in Santa Maria da Feira, where there are hundreds of automobile stands, a different one was born: it only sells electric cars and all used cars. "Because this is the future", says Fabio Dantas, who, with his father, created the space, a few minutes away from Gaia. "We have all the electric vehicles of the market. From motorbikes to working vans," he says.

The doors of the "100% Car" opened recently and even the space is environmentally friendly. "The whole stand works with renewable energy. We have 68 solar panels," explains Fabio. Only in the facilities, they invested 400 thousand euros. Moreover, in the backyard, there is a loading station. "We have created a waiting room where people can stay and drink a cup of coffee during loading," says José, the father. The idea, Fábio explains, is not innocent: "When I bought an electric car, my difficulty was to find a vacant loading station. In Porto, everything is always full and everything is outside, at cold. Besides that, the country is badly equipped, so we help the customer who gets a vehicle here to be able to charge it in their zone of residence".

They have been in the automotive business for 18 years and a year ago they started to think about the future. Before they opened the space, they have already sold two dozen electric cars. And they undo the price myth. "There are already a lot of mid-range options. It's a car that costs up to 15 thousand euros, but it has a saving of two thousand euros a year when compared to a traditional car. It doesn’t pay stamp, it doesn’t have extra expensive maintenance, it has eight years of guarantee, "says Fábio, who fell in love with this world when he realized that two euros of electricity allow him to fill a "deposit"for 160 to 200 kilometers. This is what a complete charge hold, on average, exception made to the Tesla that have 500 kilometers of autonomy.

Lots of curious people have already passed there and the stand has a vehicle just for customers to try. "People are afraid, but more and more they think about the environment. The next generation will be much more aware," they say. Customers can also invest in a homemade charging machine, which costs 600 euros, and allows the car to be charged in 45 minutes. "A person who does 60 kilometers a day charges the car twice a week and spends four euros."

Fábio sabe que vai custar muito a acontecer a reviravolta no mercado, mas queima pestanas à procura destes carros em segunda mão. São todos importados, porque o mercado em Portugal ainda é deficiente".

Fabio knows that it will cost a lot to happen a turnaround in the market, but he burns eyelashes looking for these second-hand cars. They are all imported, because the market in Portugal is still deficient."

Automobile Stand

Headquarters: National Highway 1, Mozelos, Santa Maria da Feira

Opening: 2019

Future: This is the first 100% electric stand, which father and son have, but the market is evolving and the goal is to continue in the business.