President unveils 183 electric buses and launches the operations of a new EV-charging station: “We are taking a major step towards the future.”
Santiago has acquired a fleet of 386 electric buses, becoming the city with the second largest fleet outside of China. The fleet’s arrival will benefit around 660,000 people in nine municipalities.
On Tuesday, President Sebastián Piñera inaugurated the first bus station in Latin America to be used exclusively for electric buses. He also unveiled 183 new vehicles that will be added to the fleet that is already servicing Santiago, strengthening Chile’s position as a global point of reference in clean energy transportation.
“We are taking this major step forward towards the future,” the President said after taking a trip on an electric bus from Ñuñoa to the new Los Espinos EV-Charging station in Peñalolén. The new electric buses are classified as “Red standard” within Santiago’s integrated public transportation system. President Piñera was accompanied by Transportation Minister Gloria Hutt, Energy Minister Juan Carlos Jobet, Environment Minister Carolina Schmidt, Science Minister Andrés Couve and mayors and other officials.
The Peñalolén station has photovoltaic panels and can provide energy for 138 electric buses with a charging time of 3 hours.
In addition, 183 new Red standard electric buses were unveiled during the event, bringing Santiago’s public transportation electric vehicle fleet to 386, which positions it as a global point of reference in clean energy transportation.
The arrival of these vehicles brings the percentage of the public transportation fleet that is Red standard to 15%. This means that the vehicles are universally accessible and offer greater comfort, innovation, increased safety, wider and more comfortable seats, a low floor, WiFi, air conditioning and USB chargers.
The new buses will benefit around 660,000 people in nine municipalities (Maipú, Estación Central, Santiago, Ñuñoa, Peñalolén, Pudahuel, Cerro Navia, Quinta Normal and Lo Prado) who use these routes each week. The incorporation of a large electric fleet also establishes a new performance standard and will reduce the emission of pollutants and contribute to sustainable and clean surface transport.
“This new public transportation system will allow us to improve the quality of life for all local people,” the President said.
The incorporation of this type of bus is linked to the objective of having a clean, cutting-edge public transportation matrix in the context of President Piñera’s plan to combat the negative effects of climate change on the environment and the public.