- This new milestone for electric mobility is framed in the context of the energy transition that Enel is leading in the country along with the commitment to decarbonization and the development of renewable plants.
- The unloading took place in the Port of San Antonio where Gloria Hutt, the Transportation Minister, officially received them, consolidating Chile as the country with the second largest number of electric buses operating in public transportation after China.
- With the arrival of these 100 new buses, Enel X, Metbus and BYD Chile are implementing the phase 2 of the most important electric mobility project in the country, which will incorporate a total of 183 new buses towards the end of this year.
Santiago, July 31st, 2019 – 100 new electric buses arrived in Chile for their incorporation into the public transportation system of the Metropolitan Region, complying with phase 2 of the electric mobility project driven by Enel X, Metbus and BYD Chile, within the frame of a public-private alliance along with the Ministry of Transportation.
The so-called “phase 2” includes the incorporation of 183 new BYD buses during 2019. The first 100 new buses arrived this afternoon to the Port of San Antonio where the Minister of Transportation, Gloria Hutt received them. The 83 additional buses will be incorporated in the coming weeks to the Metbus fleet, and will be added to the Grecia corridor, becoming the first “electro-corridor” to operate 100% with electric buses.
“This new milestone for electric mobility is framed in the context of the energy transition that Enel is leading. This year we signed the country commitment to decarbonization, which means closing our three coal plants in Chile, we obtained authorization to advance the closure of one of them, while we are already building renewable energy projects. All actions that seek to support the country's transition to an even cleaner energy matrix and contribute to solving challenges as important as reducing pollution in our cities”, explained Paolo Pallotti, general manager of Enel Chile.
Enel X will supply the energy for these buses by providing the necessary recharge infrastructure through the construction of three new electro-terminals in Santiago.
The electric vehicles, manufactured by the Chinese brand BYD, will be operated permanently by the company Metbus, in its 506, 507 and 510 routes. They will be integrated into the Avenida Grecia “electro corridor” which will include new high standard bus stops, also installed by Enel X.
“The arrival of these 100 new buses, through a public/private alliance between companies and the Government, is the concrete proof that electric mobility in public transportation is not only viable, but it also contributes to improve the service experience of its users. It also reduce the pollution of the cities and improves people’s quality of life”, affirmed Karla Zapata, general manager of Enel X Chile.
"The arrival of these 100 new electric buses makes Metbus a reference point in electro mobility for the public transportation of Santiago. This makes us feel very proud, since we were capable of incorporating this new technology into the country, opening the market so other busses companies can become interested in importing electric buses and other busses manufacturers can come to Chile to compete with these new products", commented Juan Pinto, Metbus chairman.
"Through this new alliance we begin a consolidation process in the market and continue being the sales leaders in the country. All of this would not have been possible without an operation such as the one made by our customer, Metbus, the largest electric bus operator in Latin America and including the support of Enel X, which has made a very innovative financial structure possible. In 2019, Chile will have the first completely electric corridor in the continent, 100% non-polluting and noise free. The Government has placed Chile as a model to be followed for the whole region and we shall continue supporting all electro mobility initiatives”, stated Tamara Berríos, Country Manager for BYD Chile.
Electric buses
The BYD electric buses has no polluting emissions and are a more economical alternative regarding their operation, costing 70% less in comparison with conventional diesel busses. The cost per kilometer is 70 pesos for electric buses, while the traditional bus cost per kilometer is 300 pesos.
Additionally, a relevant advantage for the users is the low noise level, inside the buses as well as in their displacements, being friendly to the traffic in highly populated areas.
Electro terminals
The current electric buses circulating the streets of Santiago are concentrated in two recharging electro terminals located in Peñalolén and Maipú. Both have superior, modern and sustainable infrastructure standards that allow the total charging of the electric buses, managing load and power times.
Regarding the 183 new electric buses to be incorporated into the public transportation system RED, Enel X is implementing the necessary electric power infrastructure for the operation of the new machines, consisting in the construction of 3 new electro terminals and the power increase of the two existing electro terminals in Peñalolén and Maipú.
Towards the construction of the electro terminals, electric works were carried out including layouts of high, medium and low voltage, plus a transformer center at the location. All of this has been necessary to reliably energize, and thus to be able to supply the 100 new chargers for the new buses.
The technology for these new electro terminals includes intelligent management controls, unique in the world, having the capacity of effectively manage the power supply of the buses in real time and optimizing their power consumption.
High standard bus stops
Focusing on the users, and to improve their travelling experience in public transportation, the Grecia Corridor has a new bus stops standard.
LED lighting, bicycle parking, information screens, PV systems and solar radiation, temperature conditions and other data monitoring stations, are part of the novelties in the 40 bus stops considered in the Grecia Corridor project. Additionally, these will have SB chargers and Wi-Fi.
About Enel
Enel leads the energy transition through its major investments in renewables (11.6 billion euro gross capex by 2021) and networks (11.1 billion euro gross capex by 2021), a constant commitment reflected in a business that implements sustainability across its entire value chain. The Group boasts a renewable footprint of over 43 GW managed by Enel Green Power, which is now the largest private renewable player worldwide; a global distribution grid of over 2.2 million kilometres for around 73 million end users, the largest private electric distribution network globally, of which 60% of end users are already digitalised; in the innovative energy services field, Enel’s advanced energy solutions business line, Enel X, is global demand response leader with over 6 GW of capacity, boosting further integration of renewables in power grids, through increased system flexibility and reliability. Enel is also contributing to the energy transition through the electrification of new sectors, such as transport, with a major electric mobility plan whereby Enel X plans to install 455,000 public and private charging points for electric vehicles worldwide by 2021.