A fleet of 150 electric buses manufactured by Chinese company BYD is moving from the San Antonio Port to the Chilean capital Santiago, on June 6, 2020. (Xinhua/ENELl)
A fleet of 150 electric buses manufactured by Chinese company BYD have joined the Chilean capital's public transport system, the company said in a statement released on Monday.
The buses were incorporated Saturday into the line serving Santiago's central Bernardo O'Higgins Avenue, the capital city's main east-west axis.
The new units bring BYD's total electric bus fleet in Chile to 455.
Tamara Berrios, country manager of BYD Chile, said the new buses will both "provide residents of Santiago with more quality transport and decontaminate the air" as part of the city's Alameda Project.
"The Alameda Project is of great importance due to its visibility and the structural transformation of the axis of Chile's capital," Berrios said.
"We are convinced that it is necessary to continue promoting the transformation of public transport through electromobility, and BYD will continue to move forward in that regard," she added.
BYD highlighted in the statement that it has consolidated its status as a leader in Chile's electric bus market with a 65 percent share, and also as a "leader in electromobility in Latin America" with presence in Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador and Uruguay, as well as Chile.
BYD vehicles form part of the RED, a public transportation network which integrates Greater Santiago's subway system, bike-sharing program, bus lines and suburban trains.
Santiago's electric bus fleet is projected to reach 800 units by the end of this year.
