Bogotá and Medellín, Colombia, and Santiago, Chile, Adopt Latin America’s Largest Electric Bus Fleets

WRI supported the procurement of electric bus fleets in Santiago, Bogotá, and Medellín to reduce emissions and operating costs. By developing scalable contractual and procurement mechanisms with partners like C40 and the Inter-American Development Bank, WRI helped these cities overcome the high upfront costs of e-buses. Santiago and Bogotá are procuring the two largest e-bus fleets globally outside of China, with Medellín adding 64 vehicles.

• The primary obstacle for cities adopting electric buses is the high initial purchase price and a lack of perceived financing options to cover the cost difference compared to traditional buses.
• WRI, in collaboration with C40 and the Inter-American Development Bank, developed a scalable procurement and contractual model that enables local governments to access financing from the private sector arms of multilateral development banks and utilities.
• Santiago and Bogotá have issued tenders for approximately 400 and 500 electric buses respectively, representing the two largest fleets outside of China, while Medellín has acquired 64 electric buses.

APA

World Resources Institute (2020). Bogotá and Medellín, Colombia, and Santiago, Chile, Adopt Latin America’s Largest Electric Bus Fleets. https://www.wri.org/outcomes/bogota-and-medellin-colombia-and-santiago-chile-adopt-latin-americas-largest-electric-bus

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Bogotá and Medellín, Colombia, and Santiago, Chile, Adopt Latin America’s Largest Electric Bus Fleets. 2020. https://www.wri.org/outcomes/bogota-and-medellin-colombia-and-santiago-chile-adopt-latin-americas-largest-electric-bus.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Bogotá and Medellín, Colombia, and Santiago, Chile, Adopt Latin America’s Largest Electric Bus Fleets |date=13 April 2020 |url=https://www.wri.org/outcomes/bogota-and-medellin-colombia-and-santiago-chile-adopt-latin-americas-largest-electric-bus |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitute2020bogot, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Bogotá and Medellín, Colombia, and Santiago, Chile, Adopt Latin America’s Largest Electric Bus Fleets}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2020}, month = apr, url = {https://www.wri.org/outcomes/bogota-and-medellin-colombia-and-santiago-chile-adopt-latin-americas-largest-electric-bus}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }