Chile’s ambition to become a pioneer in the area of electromobility is slowly being realized with the arrival of its first batch of 100 electric buses that came from China and arrived at the Port of San Antonio Nov. 24.
“President [Sebastián] Piñera’s administration took on the challenge of making Chile a pioneer in the area of electromobility, and the introduction of the first 100 electric buses is part of that effort," Transportation Minister Gloria Hutt said. "The arrival of the first 100 such vehicles and the shipment of an additional 100 from China is the first step in what will be the new standard for the transportation system as defined in the Third Millennium Transportation Plan."
The Chilean government is looking at having electric vehicles to account for 40 percent of Chile's private fleet and 100 percent of public transportation on the roads by 2050.
“This first stage will continue with the addition of another 100 electric buses and 490 EURO VI buses, which will gradually be introduced over the course of 2019," Metropolitan Public Transportation Director Fernando Saka said. "These changes will be added to the improvements introduced to the system that will be seen in the new public tender.”
Energy Minister Susana Jiménez said Chile promotes electromobility because it promotes energy efficiency, reduces pollution and improves the economy. She made her remarks at a seminar organized by Chile's Electric Mobility Group in July.
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