Santiago public transport operator takes delivery of 300 electric buses

Chilean bus operator Red Movilidad has taken delivery of a further 300 electric buses in Santiago de Chile. They will join another 300 new electric buses that had arrived in the Chilean capital in May. (UPDATE BELOW)

Following the major bus delivery in May, the Chilean capital’s public transport operator quickly followed up with another fleet expansion. According to Red Movilidad, this has now elevated Santiago de Chile to being the city with the most electric buses outside of China, with a total of 2,555 vehicles.

Red Movilidad’s next steps involve expanding the fleet to over 4,400 electric buses by March 2026. The public transport operator writes that two-thirds of the buses will then be electric, corresponding to a total of more than 4,400 zero-emission buses.

“This is very good news for the system and for our goal of leveling the playing field between the different communes. As a Government, we set out to bring electromobility to all sectors of the capital and we are moving forward at a steady pace with that commitment with the reinforcement of the fleet of 1,800 buses that will be incorporated over the next few months,” said Minister Juan Carlos Muñoz.

The director of Metropolitan Public Transport, Paola Tapia Salas, further expounded on the benefits of converting the city’s bus fleet: “In this context, it should be noted that Santiago has been a pioneer in electromobility in Latin America and worldwide thanks to the public policy initiated in 2017. Among the benefits that this technology has brought are the reduction of 61% of particulate matter and 44% of noise in the Alameda axis.”

Santiago de Chile’s bus fleet includes electric buses from several manufacturers, such as BYD, Volvo Buses, Foton and Yutong. While the public transport operator did not specify where the electric buses from this order came from in its press release, the same release shows an image of a bus fleet being delivered by Chinese bus manufacturer Zhongtong Bus, which was also involved in the bus delivery in May.

Update 20 August 2025

The Metropolitan Public Transport Directorate (DTPM) has added 176 new electric buses to Santiago’s RED Movilidad system, replacing older diesel vehicles in several districts from this Saturday.

Operated by Conecta, a consortium of Buses Hualpén, Mexico’s ADO and Spain’s Avanza, the new units are equipped with air conditioning, Wi-Fi, USB charging ports and CCTV systems. According to the DTPM, over 238,000 weekly trips across 13 communes will benefit.

“The transformation of the Red Movilidad system in the capital is consolidated with the beginning of the operation of 300 new electric buses, with which we reach 45% of the Red Movilidad fleet with an electric standard and more than 70% with a Red Movilidad standard,” said Paola Tapia Salas, director of Metropolitan Public Transport.

The DTPM is targeting 1,800 additional electric buses within the next six months, aiming for 4,400 units or 68% of the fleet.

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