The official delivery of the three electric buses donated by the German government to Costa Rica, took place this week in the courtyard of Casa Presidencia, in Zapote. The objective of this delivery is to carry out a pilot plan in the country to generate an operation model that can be applied later for the electrification of public transport.
“We will soon be able to see these buses circulating in the streets, so that both bus companies and institutions and users know the technology. Electric mobility is here to stay and it is our route for the decarbonization of the transport sector and our economy by 2050”, stated during the delivery the First Lady, Claudia Dobles.
Buses will operate for four months
Two of the buses will start operating during the next few weeks and will do so for a period of four months on the three selected routes: San José-Desamparados-San Rafael; San José-La Unión and San José-Alajuela.
The third unit will remain at the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE), where it will be tested on other routes, but under different conditions. The objective of this plan is to test the technology and have a replacement unit in case one of the buses suffers any damage.
“These electric buses will have a great impact; it is the first step towards decarbonization. This makes them a symbol of the joint struggle between Costa Rica and Germany against climate change,” said Martina Nibbeling-Wriessnig, German ambassador to Costa Rica. Each bus is 12 meters long, has a capacity for 80 passengers and a range of up to 250 km. per charge.
