Chile owns the biggest fleet of electric buses in Latin America and the Caribbean today. The 200 e-buses hit the road earlier this year in the capital city, Santiago, as part of a plan to cut emissions and reduce air pollution. By 2040, Chile aims to convert its public transport system to an all-electric fleet.
"To decisively confront climate change, electromobility is critical. We are taking a leap towards a cleaner, more efficient and sustainable transport system," says Carolina Schmidt, Minister of Environment of Chile and President of the UN Climate Change Conference COP25.
In December, the country will host the COP25 and lead one of the most challenging negotiations of our times: to try to get more ambitious commitments to reduce emissions from countries around the world, to keep global warming under the 1.5°C threshold.
Sustainable transport is critical for climate action, but also key to protect citizens'' health. Each electric bus can avoid up to 60 tonnes of carbon emissions every year.
In Chile, air pollution causes at least 4,000 premature deaths every year, while 10 million Chileans are exposed daily to levels of fine particulate matter above the World Health Organization standards, according to official figures.
A 2017 study by UN Environment estimates that the transition towards an all-electric taxi and bus fleet in Santiago would avoid 1,379 premature deaths by 2030.
At a country level, tackling air pollution would bring annual health benefits amounting to US$8 billion dollars, according to the Ministry of Environment of Chile.
Costa Rica pledges to have an all-electric fleet of buses and taxis by 2050, as part of a national decarbonization plan. Other countries are also putting in place incentives for customers, like Peru, where a tax on electric vehicles was lifted in 2018.
UN Environment, through itsMOVEplatform and with the support of the Euroclima+ project, is assisting Argentina, Colombia and Panama with their national electric mobility strategies.
In the past, air pollution has paralyzed Santiago. In a 1999 crisis, an outbreak of influenza sent 3,500 children to the hospital every day. In 2015, 1,300 businesses were forced to close and 40per cent of the 1.7 million cars of the city were taken out of the streets due to an environmental emergency.
Since then, the country has introduced new policies to beat air pollution, and designed 10 regional decontamination plans, with measures to improve heating and cooking systems and mass transit fleets. The transport sector accounts for 24.5per cent of the greenhouse gas emissions in Chile, and here is where electric mobility can play a significant role.
The transformation started in Santiago, one of the most polluted cities in Latin America. Every day, 18 million trips are made here, 30 per cent of them using public transport.
According to the Chinese company BYD, which produced the first 100 e-buses of Chile, one single electric bus prevents the equivalent to the emissions from 33 gasoline vehicles.
At the same time, this alternative comes with fewer costs. The Ministry of Transport of Chile estimates that operating and maintaining the new fleet is 70 per cent cheaper than diesel buses.
Around 500 private electric vehicles are currently on the roads. Ninety-three were bought in the first four months of 2019 – almost four times more than in 2018. This is still a small step, but the market is expected to grow. A survey commissioned by car company Nissan estimates that 89per cent of Chilean consumers are willing to buy an electric car.
The price of electric vehicles is considered one the main barriers in accessing sustainable options, but as the cost of the batteries keeps shrinking, so will the cost of vehicles around the world. According to Bloomberg NEF, in only three years the prices of electric and regular vehicles will start to match.
And when this happens, the air quality of our cities will improve, and millions of deaths around the world will be prevented.
Air pollution is the theme forWorld Environment Dayon 5 June 2019. The quality of the air we breathe depends on the lifestyle choices we make every day. Learn more about how air pollution affects you, and what is being done to clean the air. What are you doing to reduce your emissions footprint and#BeatAirPollution?
The 2019World EnvironmentDay ishostedby China.
Chile has set the goal to be carbon neutral by 2050. Electromobility will be fundamental in contributing a significant percentage of the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in order to reach this objective.
More efficient, cleaner and less noisy. Electric vehicles would appear to have only positive characteristics when compared to traditional ones. But if we also add the fact that they do not generate CO2 emissions when their electricity production comes from renewable sources, it is clear why Chile has made such a strong commitment to electromobility. So much so that Chile is the country with the largest number of electric buses outside of China and has ambitious goals for electromobility to take over the streets, improving the quality of life for inhabitants from Arica to Punta Arenas.
Chile has set the goal to be carbon neutral by 2050. Electromobility will be fundamental in contributing almost 20% of the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in order to reach this objective. In accordance with the National Electromobility Strategy created four years ago, the goal is for 40% of passenger cars and 100% of public transport vehicles to be electric by 2050. This goal has already been brought forward ten years so that 100% of public transport vehicles will now be electric by 2040.
Progress has been key. According to Energy Ministry figures, there were a total 2,164 electric vehicles in Chile as of July 2021, including battery-powered electric cars, electric trucks, hybrid vehicles with external recharging and electric urban buses. Chile''s fleet of 841 electric buses is the largest in the world after China.
This is not the only record that places Chile at the head of the pack. The El Conquistador de Maipu electric charging terminal for public transport was inaugurated last December and is the largest of its kind in Latin America.
Furthermore, Chile has 22 charging terminals for electric buses, which transport 600,000 people from 17 municipalities. This year, electric corridors are expected for Temuco, Concepción and Antofagasta.
Read more on electromobility here: https://energia.gob.cl/electromovilidad/
About Electric vehicle incentives santiago
As the photovoltaic (PV) industry continues to evolve, advancements in Electric vehicle incentives santiago have become critical to optimizing the utilization of renewable energy sources. From innovative battery technologies to intelligent energy management systems, these solutions are transforming the way we store and distribute solar-generated electricity.
When you're looking for the latest and most efficient Electric vehicle incentives santiago for your PV project, our website offers a comprehensive selection of cutting-edge products designed to meet your specific requirements. Whether you're a renewable energy developer, utility company, or commercial enterprise looking to reduce your carbon footprint, we have the solutions to help you harness the full potential of solar energy.
By interacting with our online customer service, you'll gain a deep understanding of the various Electric vehicle incentives santiago featured in our extensive catalog, such as high-efficiency storage batteries and intelligent energy management systems, and how they work together to provide a stable and reliable power supply for your PV projects.
Related Contents
