Chile has set the goal to be carbon neutral by 2050. Electromobility will be fundamental in contributing a significant percentage of the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in order to reach this objective.
More efficient, cleaner and less noisy. Electric vehicles would appear to have only positive characteristics when compared to traditional ones. But if we also add the fact that they do not generate CO2 emissions when their electricity production comes from renewable sources, it is clear why Chile has made such a strong commitment to electromobility. So much so that Chile is the country with the largest number of electric buses outside of China and has ambitious goals for electromobility to take over the streets, improving the quality of life for inhabitants from Arica to Punta Arenas.
Chile has set the goal to be carbon neutral by 2050. Electromobility will be fundamental in contributing almost 20% of the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in order to reach this objective. In accordance with the National Electromobility Strategy created four years ago, the goal is for 40% of passenger cars and 100% of public transport vehicles to be electric by 2050. This goal has already been brought forward ten years so that 100% of public transport vehicles will now be electric by 2040.
Progress has been key. According to Energy Ministry figures, there were a total 2,164 electric vehicles in Chile as of July 2021, including battery-powered electric cars, electric trucks, hybrid vehicles with external recharging and electric urban buses. Chile’s fleet of 841 electric buses is the largest in the world after China.
This is not the only record that places Chile at the head of the pack. The El Conquistador de Maipu electric charging terminal for public transport was inaugurated last December and is the largest of its kind in Latin America.
Furthermore, Chile has 22 charging terminals for electric buses, which transport 600,000 people from 17 municipalities. This year, electric corridors are expected for Temuco, Concepción and Antofagasta.
In addition to the National Electromobility Strategy, Chile has made progress in two other important measures. Firstly, a public-private electromobility agreement in which 85 companies and public institutions have participated and committed to: increasing models of electric cars in the market; increasing the number of public network charging points; increasing human capital; and promoting new uses of electromobility. Secondly, the Energy Efficiency Law enacted in February 2021, which promotes electromobility by: incentivizing companies to import electric vehicles, creating tax incentives for investing in electric vehicles; establishing better energy efficiency standards for new vehicles; and regulating the interoperability of recharging systems to facilitate access and connection, so that anyone can charge their vehicle in public and have a positive experience in the process, among other measures.
Read more on electromobility here: https://energia.gob.cl/electromovilidad/
