Chile Incorporates 100 New BYD Electric Buses, Consolidating Its Commitment To Electromobility

SANTIAGO, CHILE – The 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, and landed on Wednesday, 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.

The first of 100 BYD pure electric buses disembarking at San Antonio Port. Another 83 buses will be added in mid-August.

Minister 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.

They will be integrated during the last quarter into the existing Metbus fleet to operate the lines 506, 507 and 510, along the popular Avenida Grecia route. Metbus is also the largest pure electric bus fleet operator in all of the Americas.

“The arrival of these 100 new electric buses sees Metbus set a benchmark for electromobility in Santiago's public transport, which makes us very proud, because we were able to incorporate this new technology in the country”, said Juan Pinto, president of Metbus. “We also opened the doors of the market so that many other bus operators are excited to bring electric buses here and several bus factories want to open in Chile to compete with these new products”.

The buses will be integrated during the last quarter of this year into the existing Metbus fleet to operate the lines 506, 507 and 510, along the popular Avenida Grecia route, becoming the first route operated by only electric buses in all of the Americas

The 183 electric buses will be powered by Enel X, which will also provide the necessary charging infrastructure by building three new charging stations in Santiago. “This new milestone for electric public transportation is framed in the context of the energy transition that Enel is leading. Our actions seek to support Chile's transition to an ever-cleaner energy system and contribute to solving challenges as important as reducing pollution in our cities”, said Paolo Pallotti, general manager of Enel Chile.

“With this new fleet we started a consolidation process in the market and we continue to lead electric vehicle sales in Chile. All this would not be possible without our client Metbus, and also with the support of Enel X we have made possible a completely innovative financing structure,” said Tamara Berríos, Country Manager of BYD Chile. “In 2019, Chile will have the first fully electric bus route on the continent, 100% non-polluting and noise-free. The government has set Chile as a role model for the entire region and we will continue to support these electromobility initiatives”.

At present, BYD pure electric buses are successfully servicing markets in many countries across Latin America, including Chile, Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, and Uruguay. Globally, BYD's pure electric buses, taxi, and other vehicles have spread to over 300 cities, in more than 50 countries and regions.