BYD will provide the Colombian capital of Bogotá with a fleet of 379 pure electric buses, in a deal awarded by the capital’s TransMilenio SA mass transport authority. This fleet will begin operations in September 2020, giving Bogotá the largest electric bus fleet on the continent and one of the largest in the world.

Along with the 64 pure electric buses in Medellín, Colombia will have a total of 443 BYD electric buses, putting it at the vanguard of Latin America’s rapid push towards public transport electrification.

The buses will be manufactured entirely by BYD and operate in the Integrated Public Transportation System – SITP, with the towns of Usme and Fontibón to be the first to enjoy the electric bus technology.

This order also sees BYD again smashing the record for the largest electric bus order in the Americas, following its delivery of 183 buses to Chile during August 2019.

It is estimated that in its first year of operation, this fleet will cancel out 21,900 tons of CO₂ and 526 kilograms of PM_2.5. It will also be 60% cheaper to operate these buses, compared to traditional diesel-powered buses.

BYD’s zero-emission transportation solutions have gained ground in Latin America, and now successfully service markets in many other countries across the region, including Ecuador, Chile, Brazil, Peru, Panama, Uruguay and Argentina. Globally, BYD buses, taxis and other electric vehicles are present in more than 300 cities, 50 countries and regions.