A revision to Brazil's traffic code has removed one of the biggest practical barriers to selling very large electrified vehicles in the country. Effective September 14, drivers holding the standard category B license may operate electric and hybrid vehicles with a gross weight of up to 4,250 kg — a jump from the 3,500 kg ceiling that had stood unchanged since 1997. The exemption covers only electrified powertrains, so combustion pickups such as the RAM 2500/3500 and Ford F-250 still need a higher license class unless hybrid versions ever arrive.
The motivation is technical: batteries add considerable mass, and the old limit predates the electrification era. With Chinese brands expanding quickly in Brazil, several of their flagship SUVs had previously fallen foul of the weight cap. GWM's Tank 700 Hi4-T (3,630 kg gross) pairs a 3.0 twin-turbo V6 with electric drive for 523 hp and reaches 100 km/h in five seconds. Zeekr's 9X (3,660 kg), the brand's most expensive and most opulent model yet, combines a 2.0 turbo with three electric motors for 1,400 hp and 380 km of electric range from a 70 kWh battery.
Dongfeng's M-Hero 1, also known as the 917, weighs up to 3,920 kg and comes either as a 1,088 hp battery-electric off-roader with one motor per wheel or as an 816 hp range-extender. Jetour's G700 (up to 3,736 kg) uses a 211 hp 2.0 turbo plus two electric motors for a combined 905 hp. The heaviest of the group is the BYD Yangwang U8 at 4,170 kg: a luxury off-roader positioned against the Defender 130, with four motors, 1,196 hp, a 3.6-second 0-100 km/h time and roughly 1,000 km of range thanks to a 2.0 turbo generator and a 75-liter tank. It was shown at the 2025 Festival Interlagos, had already been considered for Brazil, and now appears to have received the regulatory green light it was waiting for.