Chinese electric buses begin trial operations in Buenos Aires

BUENOS AIRES－Two Chinese electric buses began operating on Thursday in the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires, the first eight vehicles that will soon be incorporated into four urban passenger transport lines.

The two units, manufactured by the Zhengzhou Yutong Bus Company, were unveiled in the Palermo neighborhood, north of the capital, by Minister of Transport Guillermo Dietrich, Buenos Aires Mayor Horacio Rodriguez, and the Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development Sergio Bergman.

"This is one more (piece of) evidence of the deep transformation that we are carrying forward in this government with President (Mauricio) Macri, working jointly with the city government to lay out long-term projects that will end up being a tangible benefit for the people, not just in their quality of life, but also in the reduction of operational costs," Dietrich told reporters.

Rodriguez said the arrival of the Chinese buses was "an enormous advance in environmental care, and clearly the transformation of the transport system is one of the main pillars in that regard."

"Now that these two buses are beginning operations, six more will be added gradually, and afterwards we will see how we can expand and bring them to the whole city," the mayor added.

The first two units will follow on Line 59, which connects the Barracas district in the south of the city with the town of La Lucila located in the northern outskirts of the capital.

Lines 12, 34, 39, and 59 will each feature two of the eight buses, and will involve different charging technologies for suppliers to determine the best option.

Tests will be carried out after the eight buses are all put into operation to "evaluate the technical feasibility of this new form of mobility, as well as its operational, economic, and environmental viability," according to Buenos Aires' city government.

The results, which will be determined jointly with the Development Bank of Latin America, "will be a key tool for the adoption of a larger-scale plan in the Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires," the local government said.