In response to escalating environmental concerns and the imperative for a transition to a more sustainable economy, the European Union enacted a new regulation on the electric battery market in July 2023. This regulation integrates the principles of the circular economy, as outlined in the European Green Deal, addressing all phases of the battery life cycle, including the mining of raw materials, product design, production processes, reuse, and recycling. In light of this development, the principal manufacturers of electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) have undertaken various circular economy (CE) and life cycle (LC) strategies. Their objective is to align their operations with these new regulatory requirements and enhance their sustainability credentials. The global automotive industry, encompassing thousands of entities with an annual turnover exceeding USD 3 trillion, is a significant economic sector. Within this industry, it is estimated that more than 50 manufacturers are involved in the production of EVs, ranging from established automakers to emerging startups. This study applies content analysis to obtain qualitative and quantitative information from data disclosed by companies and organizations, with a specific focus on entities that currently feature EVs or HEVs. The methodology involves examining publicly available reports and corporate disclosures to assess industry trends and regulatory compliance. For this purpose, the analysis selected the 10 largest EV manufacturers in the world, based on sales reports provided by the manufacturers themselves and their respective market shares, as reported by automotive news portals and blogs. The evaluation of their actions was derived from the annual sustainability reports of these companies, with the aim of identifying the practices already implemented and their anticipated contributions to extending battery life and minimizing environmental impact.

Technological advancement has propelled global economic growth, but it has also led to high rates of pollution emissions, underscoring the urgency of environmental issues. The transportation sector, particularly the rise in individual vehicle ownership, significantly contributes to atmospheric pollution. In this context, Brazil faces growing challenges, largely due to the high number of individual motor vehicles. Transitioning to electric vehicles (EVs) is seen as a sustainable alternative to reduce emissions of polluting gases. However, it is important to consider that EVs may indirectly generate pollution due to energy production in thermal power plants. Nevertheless, EVs are often sought by countries to reduce dependence on imported fuels and to mitigate urban pollution. This study aims to understand the factors influencing the purchase decision of EVs in Brazil through a systematic literature review and validation by specialists using the fuzzy Delphi method. The results indicate 37 variables, grouped into five main blocks: psychological factors, performance factors, environmental factors, barriers, and prospects for the automotive sector. The validation of these variables by specialists provides a solid foundation for the next stage of the research, which involves administering the questionnaire to the general community. Considering these results will lead to strategies aimed at promoting EV adoption, in line with global sustainability challenges and the reduction in CO₂ emissions.

Para promover a caminhada nas cidades é necessário prover condições adequadas de infraestrutura relacionadas às calçadas. No entanto, são inú-meras as variáveis que podem interferir na percepção da qualidade das cal-çadas por parte dos usuários dessas vias. Dessa forma, esse estudo se pro-põe a apresentar um método de avaliação da qualidade das calçadas utili-zando um índice ponderado com base em análises geoespaciais e na percep-ção dos usuários. As análises quantitativas realizadas envolvem a aplicação da lógica fuzzy, e as técnicas Delphi e Schulze. O método foi aplicado na área central de uma cidade brasileira de pequeno porte localizada no esta-do do Rio Grande do Sul. Os resultados do estudo são discutidos com base na seleção dos atributos importantes para a caminhada e ponderação e per-cepção desses atributos. De uma maneira geral, a análise de sensibilidade mostra que o método é adequado e que, portanto, consegue transmitir dire-tamente as experiências vivenciadas no ambiente urbano. Assim, este estudo contribui com a proposição de um método que pode ser utilizado por plane-jadores urbanos para tomar decisões relacionadas a políticas públicas vol-tadas a mobilidade de pedestres.

The transport sector, and especially the increase in individual vehicle ownership, contribute significantly to air pollution. The transition to electric vehicles (EVs) is seen as a sustainable alternative to reduce emissions of polluting gases. However, in Brazil, the EV market has not yet reached a significant size. Given this scenario, this study aims to analyze the factors that influence the decision to buy EVs in Brazil, highlighting personal, psychological, economic, performance, and environmental variables and barriers. The aim is also to develop a model with guidelines that can help stakeholders. The quantitative stage of the study involved a survey of 514 respondents. The data were analyzed using statistical methods, including structural equation modeling (SEM), which allowed for a deeper investigation of the proposed hypotheses. The survey findings reveal that, in the Brazilian context, performance factors—such as autonomy, availability of recharging infrastructure, and maintenance—are the main drivers influencing EV purchase decisions. Environmental factors, including energy reuse, pollution reduction, and minimizing environmental impacts, have also gained significant importance. Economic factors are crucial, particularly concerning cost–benefit perceptions. The differences between Brazil and other regions highlight the importance of accounting for cultural and economic variations when analyzing consumer behavior towards EVs.

In Brazil, about one third of daily trips are made on foot and in smaller municipalities the participation of non-motorized transport is even higher, showing the great importance of pedestrian-oriented infrastructure and public policies. This paper describes a methodology for ranking the relative importance of the factors that influence the quality of sidewalk infrastructure from the point of view of owners of urban commercial establishments. The attributes were selected from a search in the main scientific bases and organized in a research instrument in the form of a closed questionnaire and were applied in the four main shopping streets of the central area of Cachoeira do Sul - RS. The questionnaire was answered by the 212 responsible for the commercial and service establishments throughout the study area. Attribute weighting was performed by applying the Delphi Technique and Fuzzy Logic together. Thus, the main result of this study is the generation of a ranking of importance of attributes that allows to assist in making decisions to improve sidewalk infrastructure, more efficiently and justifiably.