Ten Electric Units have been Added to Mexico City’s Metrobús

Ten electric units have been incorporated to the Metrobus fleet in Mexico City in an effort to turn the entire rapid transit system into a greener alternative. 

Mexico City´s mayor Claudia Sheinbaum reported these incorporations aim to transform Line 3, in what is being called a path to zero emissions and the first step in turning all buses into electric ones. This particular route goes through four distinct boroughs (Gustavo A. Madero, Azcapotzalco, Cuauhtémoc, and Benito Juárez), and is intended to be the first in a bid to move Mexico City’s public transportation into green energies. Should the entirety of the fleet be replaced with electric units (780 vehicles), up to 14 tons of gas emissions could l be avoided in ten years.  

A grand total of MX$17 million were invested in the purchase of these vehicles, manufactured by China-based giant Yutong, while a further MX$30 million were used to improve and upgrade the electric infrastructure. The estimated time to charge the 160-passenger units and get them ready for their daily 300km trip is 3.5 hours, to be done during the night. Mexico-based VEMO was responsible for the introduction of these electric units. Jorge Augusto Suárez, Commercial Director, explained the company is dedicated to minimizing the impact and shock that moving to another kind of technology represents. 

The rise of renewable and green energies is inevitable and it is right on track to become the number one source of energy in the coming decades. In fact, 2020 saw the biggest and fastest increase in renewable energy usage in the globe, China leading the numbers (50 percent of total growth). Figures from the International Energy Agency (IEA) show that capacity for these kinds of energy grew 45 percent to 280 gigawatts. Though disruptions caused by the pandemic were ever-present and had their due impact, the sector was able to operate accordingly. 

Fatih Birol, IEA Executive Director said that “wind and solar power are giving us more reasons to be optimistic about our climate goals as they break record after record,” an optimistic outlook in part thanks to the agency’s constant positive adjustments of forecasts. Since last November, forecasts have had a 25 percent increase. 

Hope for increasing numbers remains high, the IEA also stated that governments around the world nonetheless need to do more to encourage investments in  renewable energies and also the improvement of existing infrastructure, which is crucial to implement such changes.