Colombia to have the largest electric bus fleet in the Americas

BYD will provide 379 electric buses to Bogotá, Latin America's largest electric bus fleet (credit: BYD).

In a deal awarded by the TransMilenio SA mass transport authority, the Colombian capital of Bogotá will be provided with a fleet of 379 pure electric buses by BYD, giving Bogotá the largest electric bus fleet on the continent and one of the largest in the world.

The buses will be operated in the Integrated Public Transportation System – SITP, with the towns of Usme and Fontibón to be the first to have the electric buses. 

“With the arrival of zero emission electric buses to the SITP, we fulfilled a dream that this administration had proposed, and for which we worked hard, to give the city a better public transport service, with technology that’s both state-of-the-art and user-friendly,” said María Consuelo Araujo, General Manager of TransMilenio SA.

It is estimated that in its first year of operation, this fleet will cancel out 21,900 tons of CO₂ and 526 kilograms of PM 2.5 pollutant particles. It will also be 60 percent cheaper to operate these buses, compared to traditional diesel-powered buses.

“BYD’s successful bid to provide 379 buses today is a great achievement for Bogotá and TransMilenio, which is leading the global shift to cleaner and more sustainable transport,” added Lara Zhang, Country Manager of BYD Colombia. “More importantly, these electric buses produce zero emissions and are environmentally friendly, bringing better air quality and improved living conditions to local people.

“Today is an important milestone in the transport history of Bogotá, and every Bogotá resident should be proud of being part of the great transition to electric.”

This fleet is to begin operations in September 2020.