A push for more electric buses in Latin America

While China is the world’s biggest polluter, it is also that country that invests the most in renewable energy. As an example, in 2018, the metropolis of Shenzhen became the first city in the world to have its 17,000 buses and 12,600 taxis fueled purely by electricity.

Meanwhile, in Latin America, electric buses are a rarity, helping to make its largest cities some of the most polluted places in the world. Across Central and South America, there are just 1,962 electric buses, 1.95 percent of the total fleet.

As a way to address this shortfall, a group of 17 investors and manufacturers have banded together to fund an increase in electric buses in four of Latin America’s most populous cities: São Paulo, Santiago (Chile), Medellín (Colombia), and Mexico City.

With an investment of USD 1 billion, the project — entitled...