Latin American Cities Reach Milestone of 10,000 Electric Buses

• Latin American cities have reached a milestone of 10,000 electric buses in operation across 80 cities in 13 countries.
• This transition avoids an estimated 10 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually.
• Santiago, São Paulo, and Bogotá lead the region with over 7,000 electric buses combined.

The São Paulo Model

• São Paulo currently operates the largest electric bus fleet in Brazil, totaling 1,759 vehicles (1,570 battery-electric and 189 trolleybuses).
• The city’s fleet avoids 130,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually and saves 57 million litres of diesel.
• The financing model, worth approximately R$6.5 billion, involves collaboration with BNDES, the World Bank, and the IDB.
• Municipal regulations now prohibit the replacement of end-of-life vehicles with diesel buses, mandating a shift to zero-emission technology.

Regional Scaling and Support

• The ZEBRA Alliance and Brazil Mutirão program provide technical assistance, financial modelling, and infrastructure support to cities.
• Ongoing projects include:
  • Rio de Janeiro: Preparing terminals and charging infrastructure.
  • Salvador: Electrifying at least 50% of the BRT fleet.
  • Recife: Federal investment of R$319 million to procure 100 electric buses.
  • Belo Horizonte: Deploying infrastructure for 100 electric buses including 27 depot chargers.