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13 It took two years to develop the new body, and R$ 10 million were invested in the Ana Rech plant, in Caxias do Sul, RS – in tooling, production line and engineering. According to Patras Santos, business head with Marcopolo, production will have a dedicated line: “We will have an area devoted to the production of these bodies so we will be in a position to serve the future market demand”. designed to transport 280 passengers. It can be used in either public or private transportation systems, as well as airports. Santos said that so far no contracts have been signed, but there are 110 negotiations under way, both domestic and international: “This is a global project and we want to make headway both in Brazil and in other markets. We have a team in New York which will be in charge for negotiations in the area, which is very promising”. The company is also dealing with GRU airport, which operates the Cumbica International Airport, in Guarulhos, SP, aimed at the transportation of passengers from the railway station until the embarkation terminal; also with the government from Bahia, where several projects are underway. The Aeromovel requires, besides the body and the propulsion technology, the construction of an elevated structure where the vehicle will move. Aeromovel Brasil will refer companies that build these structures to clients in negotiations. Marcus Coester, CEO, said that it could be built quickly, depending on the amount of the investment to be made: “We have examples of 2.5 km long roads that were built in 8 months in other countries”. Coester believes that this mode of transportation will gain market in the next couple of years “given that it is a non-polluting vehicle, electric, and that does not require a driver; also, it can be shared by several people simultaneously”. The operating cost of this kind of vehicle is lower than a regular diesel-propelled bus by as much as 80%, he claims. The first aeromovel is operating in the Salgado Filho airport, in Porto Alegre, RS. There are two vehicles, one with capacity for carrying three hundred passengers, and the other for one hundred fifty. “In this project the vehicles follow a line of about 1 kilometer. Given that demand in this airport is growing, we are already negotiating the delivery of a new unit to transport three hundred passengers”.