- The terminal will have intelligent charging controls, unique in the world, to effectively manage, in real time, the power supply of the first 100 electric buses that will be integrated into Santiago's public transport system, thereby optimizing their energy consumption.
- It will have superior standard, modern, and sustainable infrastructure, which will allow charging all of the electric buses, managing charging schedules and power.
Santiago, November 19, 2018 – 80% progress in the construction of Latin America’s first electric charging terminal for electric buses has been achieved, one of the most important technological innovations in terms of public transport in Chile that will be implemented by Enel X and Metbus for the first 100 electric buses that will start to circulate through the streets of Santiago.
The progress was verified this morning by the Minister of Transport, Gloria Hutt, who inspected the facilities where the new electric buses, which are on their way from China, will recharge their batteries.
The electric terminal, located in the Peñalolén district, operated by Metbus, will have 63 charging points for electric buses and solar parking, structures designed to support photovoltaic panels that generate electricity as a renewable source, contributing power to the consumption of the operation of the buses and the electric terminal. The other 37 charging points included in the project will be available in the Maipú electric terminal.
The electric terminal technology includes intelligent charging controls, unique in the world, which will have the ability to effectively manage the power supply of the buses, in real time, optimizing their energy consumption.
"These advances are a real contribution towards incorporating the environmental variable into the city’s operation in a massive way, thus promoting the incorporation of innovative technologies that contribute to the decontamination of Santiago, improve the quality of life of people, and promote energy efficiency," explained Karla Zapata, Enel X Chile’s CEO.
"For the operation of electric buses, it is essential to build the necessary infrastructure to charge the buses. The incorporation of 100 electric buses into Santiago's public transport system requires adapting two Metbus terminals, in which 100 chargers and 3 backup generators are being installed. In a joint effort of Enel and Metbus, the infrastructure of these two terminals have progressed sufficiently to allow us to ensure that these terminals will be ready before the electric buses start their operation," commented Héctor Moya, Metbus director.
For the construction of the electric terminal, electrical works were carried out including high, medium, and low voltage lines, plus a transformer housed there. All this is necessary to provide power reliably, and thus be able to supply the 100 new chargers for the buses.
Electric buses
Each bus is 12 meters long and has a capacity for 81 passengers. The bus route will pass through 5 districts of the Metropolitan Region, turning the Grecia corridor into a sustainable route.
The BYD brand electric buses will arrive to Chile in the coming days for their entry into operation. These produce no impact in terms of polluting emissions and also constitute a cheaper alternative in regard to operation, as they have 70% less costs as compared to conventional diesel buses. The cost per kilometer is 70 pesos for electric buses, while the cost of a traditional bus is 300 pesos per kilometer.
Another relevant advantage for users is the low noise level, both inside and outside the bus, being friendly for transit in highly populated areas.
The experience of the users and passengers of the first 2 BYD electric buses which arrived in 2017, and which Metbus operates on the 516 route, was taken into account for the manufacture of the new buses, improving a series of elements in the new vehicles for their safety.
