SANTIAGO, April 5 (Xinhua) -- The Chilean government's support has been crucial to the arrival of Chinese electric buses in the capital Santiago, said the Chilean representative for China's leading electric vehicle maker BYD.
"Government support has been crucial, ... so that the electromobility market can open," Tamara Berrios said in an interview published Friday in the local daily El Mercurio.
The representative emphasized that currently they do not market gasoline vehicles in Chile, nor will they do so, because they focused on the electric market.
In December 2018, Chilean President Sebastian Pinera unveiled the first 100 electric buses for Santiago's transit fleet, which were made by BYD. One week later, Chilean Transport and Telecommunications Minister Gloria Hutt unveiled a second fleet of 100 electric buses made by Chinese manufacturer Yutong joining the fleet.
Pinera said that the goal is that 80 percent of the public transportation buses in Santiago will be electric in 2022.
Since the December unveiling, the Wi-Fi enabled red-and-white buses, fitted with USB ports and air conditioners, have become a preferred means of transport for many of the city's 5.6 million residents, who now can have a cleaner, quieter, and more comfortable ride.
The Alameda, the main street in the Chilean capital, will become the most important electric transport corridor in the region with the operation of 158 electric buses.
On March 12, the Chilean government presented a more modernized public transit system called Metropolitan Mobility Network (RED) to replace the old Transantiago system. The RED will cover the city's public transport means from subways to buses, bicycles and suburban trains.
