Santiago, Chile, has expanded its fleet of electric buses to more than 400. This has resulted in significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and pollution, and has improved opinion of the bus system among riders. 

The city of Santiago, Chile’s capital, has a blossoming economy and strong mining industry, and because of this, the city is growing at a rapid pace. This growth also means that the city is becoming increasingly polluted. In fact, the city was one of the most polluted capital cities in Latin America. Smog has become a serious problem for Santiago’s residents—in 2016, a state of environmental emergency was declared as air quality ‘reached alarming levels’.

Since then, the city has launched a programme to address these challenges and intended to increase the number of electric vehicles by ten within a two-year period. By March 2020, the city has launched a fleet of more than 400 electric buses, charged partially by solar power. The city has set a target of full electrification by 2035. Residents have also been incentivised to switch to more energy efficient vehicles through exemptions from environmental taxes and traffic restrictions.

Since the beginning of 2019, Santiago is home to the largest fleet of electric buses outside of China. This fleet is estimated to have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 20,630 tonnes of CO2e.

Although the city faces some barriers (such as insufficient charging infrastructure), the policies have shown some early success: fare dodging on buses has been reduced by 6.5% since the introduction of the electric fleet, for example, as residents recognise the health and environmental benefits of electrified public transport.

Photo by Kyle Ryan on Unsplash