Transforming the future of public transportation in Latin America

Latin American countries are migrating towards sustainable and circular development models, implementing innovative investment and financing engines to boost their economies.

In this scenario, electrification is taking on a key role to achieve cleaner, more resilient and inclusive cities.

In the current economic situation, the electrification of cities, the energy transition and particularly the commitment of the countries of the region to promote electric transport, is today a palpable reality that is advancing on wheels.

In order to achieve these objectives in a transversal way, the governments and public entities of Latin America are in constant search of alliances that allow them to continue promoting quieter, more sustainable and efficient cities, where the electrification of urban transport presents an opportunity without precedents to reduce harmful emissions of polluting gases and improve the quality of life of its citizens.

Currently, the region has more than 2,000 electric buses, a scenario that in turn positions Chile and Colombia as the countries with the largest number of fleets in the region, while other nations on the continent, such as Brazil, Peru and Uruguay, advance in the creation of public-private alliances that will allow them to continue promoting the development of 100% electric transport in their cities.

In this context, it is clear that energy and transport companies are taking a more active role than ever in accelerating electric mobility in the region, a scenario in which Enel X, the group's efficiency services division and leader in electromobility in Latin America, it actively provides innovative solutions to drive this energy transition.

In this regard, Mauricio Bezzeccheri, Enel director for Latin America, details that the energy transition poses fundamental challenges for the region, one of which is electrification, which will allow “to replace the use of fossil fuels with electricity, where we are committed to development mass of both public and private electric mobility, at the same time that we promote the vision of circular cities, where the flows of matter and energy are rethought, in addition to the use of goods and services with the aim of improving the quality of life of citizens and generate positive impacts on the planet ”.

Likewise, Enel X has set objectives in order to help its clients, through strategies aligned with the decarbonisation objectives, to assume a responsible environmental attitude, as well as implement solutions that promote better energy processes that make the market more competitive. through electrification, better uses and energy consumption, with digitization as an element of differentiation.

In this effort of the company to promote best practices, it includes constantly innovating the offer of products and services that can deliver added value to its customers.

Business models oriented to a long-term relationship vision, in which local ecosystems are strengthened in the direction of sustainable development and thus guide the region towards circular economies.

Among the innovative business strategies that the company carries out for this purpose is Ebus-as-a-Service (EaaS), an end-to-end model in which it offers a set of solutions ranging from bus financing, services to Smart Cities and smart charging infrastructure for buses and patios.

In this same direction, among the solutions it presents is the Charging-as-a-Service (CaaS) model, which integrates the rental of recharging, maintenance and electrical energy equipment, tools used to give its customers the possibility of enter the entire Enel X electric mobility ecosystem, who makes available different modalities to promote sustainable development, which has positioned the company as one of the most relevant actors in the implementation of electric public transport in the region, delivering financing services, smart recharging and infrastructure and / or clean energy to more than 1,300 electric buses that circulate in Latin America.

Energy that advances and harvests

The main milestones and examples of project development that Enel X has had in the region are present in strategic locations such as Santiago de Chile, with the incorporation of 500 Ebuses, 11 electrical terminals and more than 245 charging stations, positioning the country as the second globally in the circulation of electric buses after China.

In the case of Colombia, it was agreed to implement a new contract with Transmilenio in Bogotá for the supply of 878 Ebuses and six new electrical terminals equipped with 412 charging points, initiatives including the #UnNuevoAire project in Suba, Fontibon and Usma.

For its part, in Peru, the electrification of public transport in Lima stood out in the category of best practices in the last 2021 Summit of the Global Sustainable Electricity Association (GSEP), thanks to the introduction of Ebuses and the charging infrastructure, which led to a total of 56,200 kilometers traveled in one year, equivalent to 67,114.7 kg of C02 emissions that were avoided in the air.

Right now, in Brazil, Enel X is part of the project that is transforming the Vila Olimpia neighborhood of Sao Paulo into a “green heart” that beats to the rhythm of the energy revolution and sustainability, which will be part of the solutions for the electrification of urban public transport that Enel X will continue to implement in the country.

In Uruguay, the central government, through its project to promote sustainable public mobility, has granted a subsidy, through which the main operator of electric buses in Montevideo, CUTCSA, (Compañía Uruguaya de Transportes Colectivos SA) incorporated 20 units of electric buses to your city fleet. To accompany this first phase, Enel X implemented an intelligent management system that allows monitoring the conditions of the batteries, managing their optimal recharging and planning maintenance, a system that improves the use and operation of the buses using data transmitted in real time. .

The electrification potential in Latin America is gigantic, allowing the Enel Group to materialize different financing projects that, demonstrating that they are viable and sustainable practices both technically and economically, consolidating a scalable development that will help satisfy the demand of hundreds of cities in the region.

Recently, Enel X signed an agreement with AMP Capital, which will allow it to continue identifying investment opportunities in public transport and electrical infrastructure in the region, to continue promoting the sustainable development of Latin American cities.