Rio De Janeiro, Brazil – Fetranspor and Rio Bus, the public transportation companies for the state and city of Rio, and BYD, a Chinese battery and electric vehicle company, announced Rio’s first 100% electric bus this week. The bus is running now on line 249 (Water-Santa Carioca).
The partnership, which aims to test the bus on a regular line for one month, has the support from the city government through the City Department of Transportation, and the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (a network of megacities committed to taking actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions) and is currently chaired by Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes.
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Rio is one of the three cities in Brazil to test electric buses from BYD – São Paulo and Salvador have done successful tests already. The Operation Manager for Mobility at Fetranspor, Guilherme Wilson says, “The electric buses are no longer just a promise; the electrical technology is a major innovation in the urban mobility sector. In addition, this vehicle has zero emissions, superior durability and lower operating costs, all considerable advantages towards sustainability.”
Companies in Rio have tested some types of buses before including hybrids, diesel from sugar cane, biodiesel, and compressed natural gas (CNG).
"Fetranspor is a great reference for testing new energy buses in public transportation and the segment in Rio de Janeiro is a model for many cities in the country,” says Vagner Rigon, sales vice president of BYD do Brasil. “The partnership with Fetranspor will be important to showcase its economical and environmental benefits and help to develop the market for low carbon buses.”
Source: BYD