Chile Incorporates 100 New BYD Electric Buses
Chilean Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications, Gloria Hutt, along with the Ministers of Energy, Juan Carlos Jobet, and the Environment, Carolina Schmidt together with representatives of BYD, Enel and the operator Metbus, received 100 new BYD electric buses from China on Wednesday at the port of San Antonio. Three Chilean Ministers (Transportation, Energy and Environment) welcomed the buses, together with representatives of BYD, Enel and Metbus.
The buses, BYD K9FE, were shipped from the port of Shanghai on July 1, beginning the overland journey from San Antonio to the Chilean capital Santiago, where they will be integrated into the fleet that operates on the Avenida Grecia, the only completely electrified bus line in all of the Americas, and one that benefits more than 660 thousand people weekly.
Following the arrival of this batch of electric buses, another 83 units will be added in mid-August. These 183 units of BYD pure electric buses will join the 100 electric buses that BYD and local partner Enel brought into Santiago last December, which gave BYD a dominant share of more than 60% in the capital's promising electric bus market, and created the largest pure electric bus fleet in Latin America.
Minister Ms Hutt pointed out that “the arrival of this new fleet of electric buses demonstrates once again that the qualitative leap in public transport will not change, as well as our commitment to continue raising the quality of people's travel experience and, of course, their quality of life. It is a profound and radical transformation, which is embodied in the next tenders that we are promoting”.
With the arrival of the new electric buses, about 6% of the capital's fleet is now electrified and emissions-free. These 12-meter vehicles, like those already operating in Santiago, have Wi-Fi, USB ports, universal accessibility for people with reduced mobility, cameras and a segregated cab for driver safety, as well as padded seats and low floors.
Source : STRATEGIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE