Mexico City Welcomes First-of-its-kind Electric Buses

Yutong, the Chinese manufacturer company of commercial vehicles, delivered ten first-of-its-kind electric buses in Mexico City. Mayor Claudia Sheinbuam expects the nation´s capital to have the largest investment in electromobility in Latin America.

The company is the world’s major bus and coach supplier with a 35 percent of the market share in China and 15 percent of the global market share. 

The articulated buses that arrived are 18-meter full-electric and high-platform Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) units, making it the first BRT system operated by 18-meter electric buses in the world. This debuts the mass-production of the electric BRT bus in the Mexican market. 

Each bus has a capacity for 160 passengers, lasts with electric autonomy for 330 kilometers, has a 3.5-hour battery charging time, and saves up to 80 percent of energy. With a waterproof battery, motor, and vehicle control unit, the BRT electric buses were tailor-made to the city’s requirements.

However, Yutong is not the only company participating in this green-mobility initiative. VEMO, Mobility ADO, and Metrobús also collaborated with Mexico City’s government for users to enjoy the new electric units in Line 3 of the Metrobús transportation system. In addition, the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) will be powering the seven available designed spaces for the charging process of electric vehicles. 

For this project, there is a calculated investment totaling MX$47 million. “A total of MX$17 million were invested in the purchase of these vehicles, while a further MX$30 million were used to improve and upgrade the electric infrastructure”, MBN reported in August.

According to the company’s webpage, these buses will not only significantly improve the transit efficiency and travel experience of Mexican residents but also help Mexico open a new chapter of green and rapid transit. They are expected to set a benchmark for BRT electrification worldwide […] the introduction of "zero-emission" full-electric BRT buses with intelligent connected vehicle systems unarguably accelerated Mexico City’s progress toward green mobility.

Achieving greener mobility is highly relevant for the country, as Arturo Carranza, independent Advisor of the CFE told MBN at the 2021 Mexico Energy Forum.

“We find ourselves in a decisive year, at the start of a decisive decade, when it comes down to really kickstarting the energy transition […] the government has the opportunity to develop and implement credible plans to meet reasonable targets that foster investor, industry and citizen confidence.”