Electric buses set to arrive in Coquimbo and La Serena
President Gabriel Boric provided details of the new services that will be offered in both cities.
Electromobility solutions are being deployed throughout Chile, and La Serena and Coquimbo are the latest cities to benefit from the plan to incorporate electric buses into bus fleets throughout the country.
In a ceremony led by President Gabriel Boric and Minister of Transport, Juan Carlos Muñoz, the tender of 42 buses for the Greater La Serena area was announced.
This initiative aims to connect El Llano and Sindempart in Coquimbo with Las Compañías in La Serena, both of which are densely populated areas, through two electric bus services.
“This month, we’re going to sign the contract with regional company Liserco for the acquisition and commissioning of 42 high-quality electric buses. This means less noise, less pollution, and faster travel times. Additionally, the tender includes the construction of charging stations for the fleet in Coquimbo, which will involve an investment of around Ch3.60 billion (US$3.90 million) per year for the eight years that the contract lasts,” said Gabriel Boric, President of Chile.
The Chilean leader emphasized that promoting electromobility in the Coquimbo Region is a priority that is also expected to be implemented gradually in other Chilean regions that form part of the Special Electromobility Promotion Program.
In La Serena and Coquimbo, 42 high-quality electric buses with air conditioning, Wi-Fi, GPS, and full accessibility will be deployed.
The two new services in Greater La Serena will run from Monday to Sunday, with almost 326 departures on business days (around 82 for each service) and a maximum frequency of six buses per hour during peak times.
This is expected to benefit 8,209 people every day, amounting to almost 2.5 million people per year. Additionally, this initiative is associated with a portfolio of infrastructure projects to support the deployment of electric buses that will be implemented in 2024 and 2025.
It should be noted that these buses will contribute to the goal of 100% of the country’s public transport fleet being electric vehicles by 2040.