Energy for Freedom: The Consumer at the Center of the Transition

For decades, Brazilians were conditioned to believe there was no alternative to gasoline. The gas station became a symbol of mobility but also of dependence.

Every liter consumed represented not only a financial cost, but submission to a centralized energy model dominated by large corporations and the oil industry. In this context, communication about energy has long been marked by technical jargon and narratives that distance ordinary citizens. The electricity and energy sector came to seem like territory reserved for engineers and investors, when in fact it should concern all of society. After all, energy is life, development, and freedom.

The arrival of electric vehicles and renewable energy has changed the game. For the first time, the consumer can be the protagonist. The numbers leave no room for doubt: electric vehicles convert more than 85% of energy into motion, compared to just 30% for internal combustion engines. The cost per kilometer can be up to 70% lower, and maintenance is simpler no oil changes, spark plugs, or complex transmissions.

The environmental impact is also incomparable. An electric car emits up to 60% fewer greenhouse gases over its lifetime. There is not a single aspect in which the electric model is inferior to the gasoline car. Still, weak arguments persist: “range is low,” “the price is too high,” “charging takes too long.” These claims do not stand up to technological progress. Today, models already exceed 400 km of range, and fast chargers reduce waiting times to minutes.

Among the opposing arguments, one point deserves serious attention: battery safety. It is true that, in rare cases, lithium-ion battery fires are difficult to extinguish and require specific protocols. This risk is often used rhetorically against electric vehicles.

However, context matters. The incidence of fires in electric cars is statistically lower than in combustion vehicles, which carry highly flammable liquids every day. Data from U.S. road safety authorities show that the probability of a gasoline car catching fire in an accident is up to four times higher than that of an electric vehicle. Battery technology is evolving rapidly, with increasingly sophisticated thermal management systems and safety protocols.

Ignoring this issue would be narrative manipulation; acknowledging and explaining it is part of the educational communication we need to build. Consumers must know that risks exist but also that they are lower than those we have accepted for decades when driving fossil-fueled vehicles.

The real leap lies in consumer empowerment. Who would have imagined, a few decades ago, that it would be possible to generate energy at home with solar panels, store it in batteries, and use it to charge one’s own vehicle? This closes a cycle of independence: the citizen ceases to be hostage to gasoline and becomes the producer and manager of their own energy. This empowerment is revolutionary. It turns consumers into protagonists of the energy transition, reducing dependence on large companies and the international oil market. It is a path that strengthens household economics and democratizes access to clean energy.

Despite the evidence, the energy transition faces resistance. Partisan politics has hijacked the issue, turning it into an ideological banner. This division serves the oil industry, which benefits from maintaining the status quo. Meanwhile, fear-based narratives try to convince the population that change is expensive or unfeasible. Reality tells a different story: every dollar invested in clean energy generates up to three dollars in economic benefits, according to the International Energy Agency. More jobs, less pollution, greater independence. Ignoring this is to perpetuate an irresponsible model of consumption and wealth accumulation that destroys the planet.

Brazil, with its abundance of sun, wind, and biomass, has all the conditions to lead this transition. What is missing is clear, educational communication that explains to ordinary citizens that energy is not merely a technical issue, but a right and a choice. We must show that electric cars are not just modern vehicles, but part of a silent revolution that returns power to consumers. We must explain that distributed generation is not just an alternative, but an inevitable path to democratizing access to energy. And we must confront opposing arguments head-on—without fear of acknowledging risks, but with the courage to show that they are smaller than those we already accept.

This is not about demonizing those who think differently, but about recognizing that those who fail to care for the planet act as enemies of the future. It may sound radical, but it is simply the acknowledgment that we are racing against time. The planet cannot wait for artificial consensus. The narrative must change: clean energy is not a luxury; it is a necessity. Electric cars are not a promise; they are a reality. Consumer empowerment is not a utopia; it is the path forward. The question is simple and direct: do we want to remain tied to the gas station, or take the wheel of a new energy era?

The answer does not lie solely in the hands of governments or companies, but in the awareness of each citizen. The energy transition is also a cultural transition. Old habits must be abandoned, weak narratives overcome, and the understanding embraced that the future demands different choices. Consumer empowerment is the key to this change. It not only reduces dependence on gasoline, but redefines society’s relationship with energy. It is time to accept that the future has already arrived and that resisting it means clinging to a past that leads us toward collapse. Brazil can be a protagonist in this story, but to do so it must give voice to consumers, educate society, and courageously confront the interests that still try to keep the country tied to the gas station.

Energy for Freedom: The Consumer at the Center of the Transition

Renato Zimmermann - @ rena.zimm@gmail.com