Central Bank evaluates allowing Pix to cross international borders

iCAUR, the new line of electrified SUVs belonging to Chery, will be presented to the Brazilian public during the Interlagos Festival, located in São Paulo, between August 27 and 30. With this debut, iCAUR becomes the fifth brand associated with the Chinese conglomerate operating in the national territory, joining Caoa Chery, Omoda & Jaecoo, Jetour, and Lepas.

The brand name has a less obvious origin: it was conceived in China as iCar but began using the spelling iCAUR in international markets to prevent any trademark registration issues. Despite this, the correct way to pronounce it remains 'iCar.'

According to the company itself, iCAUR adopts a premium market stance, based on the motto 'classic never goes out of style,' which is the official translation of its slogan 'Classic Never Fades.' This strategy aligns with the growing preference for SUVs with straight lines and a robust design, a silhouette that has regained consumer interest in various markets.

The vehicle expected to arrive in the country first is the V27 model. This SUV is approximately 4.90 meters long and features a square shape that evokes references to the Land Rover Defender and the Mercedes-Benz G-Class. In China, it uses an extended-range hybrid system, where the 1.5-liter gasoline engine serves exclusively as a generator to power the electric motors.

Later, with a forecast for 2027, the V23, a compact SUV measuring 4.22 meters and sporting a retro look characterized by round headlights and prominent fenders, is expected to be launched. This model is fully electric; the entry-level version sold in China features a rear motor of 136 hp, a 59.9 kWh battery, and a range of up to 401 km in the CLTC cycle. The most advanced configuration incorporates a second motor on the front axle, reaching 211 hp and utilizing an 81.7 kWh battery.

Before the official launch event, the brand began structuring its national operations. Since the beginning of August, iCAUR has been holding meetings with potential investors and dealers to detail its global positioning, expansion plan in Brazil, and business opportunities available to local partners. The consolidation of the distribution network precedes the start of sales, the date of which has not yet been disclosed.

At the booth set up for the Interlagos Festival, iCAUR will also exhibit a humanoid robot created by AiMOGA, which is a robotics arm from the Chery group. This equipment, called Mornine, measures 167 cm tall and is designed to interact in showrooms, assisting customers, showing models, and answering questions about the vehicles.

On Monday, the 10th, Nvidia announced a collaboration with six major financial institutions. The purpose of this partnership is to develop computing financing platforms focused on artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure.

This initiative aims to raise over US$ 500 billion, equivalent to R$ 2.5 trillion, in third-party capital over time. This move demonstrates how the growing need for computational power for AI is attracting the interest of institutional investors.

In parallel, governments, companies, and startups are accelerating the construction of data centers necessary to support the expansion of AI demands. Large technology corporations have also indicated that their investments in AI should not decrease, projecting that sector spending will exceed US$ 730 billion, or R$ 3.7 trillion, this year alone.

To realize this project, Nvidia signed memorandums of understanding with Apollo, BlackRock, Blackstone, Brookfield, Goldman Sachs, and KKR. These agreements will serve to structure the mentioned financing platforms.

The central proposal is to facilitate access to Nvidia-based technology infrastructure for various groups, including cutting-edge AI developers, companies, government agencies, and cloud service providers. Additionally, the platforms will generate long-term investment opportunities linked to the use of this infrastructure for large asset managers and private equity firms.

Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, stated that such financing platforms will help clients obtain scarce computational capacity on a large scale and build the AI factories that will drive all sectors and nations in the AI era. The company added that the pacts will also create 'dedicated pools of significant capital at attractive rates' for its clients.

However, Nvidia did not detail the financial aspects of these alliances, nor the specific investment commitments of each involved institution, nor did it present a timeline for the application of the projected US$ 500 billion.

The Director of the General Directorate of the Ministry of Agriculture's Water Resources Department announced the start of work to ensure volumetric water supply to the agricultural sector following the transfer of water management powers to operators. He noted that only a quarter of agricultural water intakes are equipped with smart meters.

According to IRNA from the Ministry of Agriculture, Amir Hedayati mentioned the development of guidelines for transferring water management responsibilities to agricultural operators and organizations. He added that this document is based on Article 40 of the Seventh Development Plan Law and will soon be published, which may pave the way for implementing a volumetric water supply plan in agriculture.

The Director of the General Directorate of the Ministry of Agriculture's Water Resources Department emphasized that the development and publication of rules by the Ministry of Energy regarding the transfer of powers to operators and organizations can contribute to the implementation of the volumetric water supply system in agriculture.

He highlighted the need to increase the involvement of operators in water resource management, stating that according to these rules, part of the Ministry of Energy's responsibilities in agricultural water resource management should gradually be transferred to agricultural operators and organizations so that water resource management is carried out with the direct participation of stakeholders.

Hedayati views the transfer of water management powers to operators as a starting point for serious transformations in this field. He noted that volumetric water supply to farmers has been a long-standing demand of the Ministry of Agriculture.

Agriculture requires accurate information on the volume of available water for production planning and investment. The Director of the General Directorate of the Ministry of Agriculture's Water Resources Department added that besides ensuring transparency regarding resources and consumption, volumetric water supply can promote accountability, more precise planning, and more effective operator participation in water resource management.

Emphasizing the role of agricultural organizations in water resource management, he stated that without the cooperation and participation of operators and stakeholders, the implementation of water sector reform projects is extremely difficult, and favorable results cannot be expected from new policies without the active presence of people and organizations in the agricultural sector.

Hedayati reported that since the approval and announcement of the Law on Fair Water Distribution, the Ministry of Energy is obliged to implement volumetric water supply in agriculture in at least 15 annual laws and medium-term programs of the country. However, little success has been achieved in fulfilling this obligation in the field of surface water.

In the area of groundwater, only about 125,000 out of approximately 416,000 authorized agricultural water intakes were equipped with volumetric smart meters, which accounts for less than 25 percent.

The Director of the General Directorate of the Ministry of Agriculture's Water Resources Department noted that this situation causes significant uncertainty in the agricultural sector regarding the volume of available water, hindering the development of necessary and reliable plans for investment and business operations.

He identified the lack of sufficient will to implement volumetric supply as one of the main obstacles to water resource management reform, acknowledging that the necessary will to address this issue has not been sufficiently expressed in recent years.

Hedayati suggested that part of the problem may be related to conflicts of interest in water resource management, as volumetric water supply and increased transparency regarding resources and consumption can reveal existing conflicts of interest in this area.

Referring to the high proportion of structural projects in the country's water resource management, he said that structural projects, especially dam construction, divert a significant portion of the water sector's energy and credits, and the strong inclination of leaders in this sector towards implementing structural projects limits the opportunities and resources needed for certain managerial and reformative measures.