The largest metropolis in Latin America never stops and counting the population of the Valley of Mexico City, about 22 million inhabitants must move through urban and interurban roads. This requires having a system with a high dose of integration and multimodality to facilitate the movement of so many people.
In terms of mobility, the city offers many options for getting around: metro, cablebus, trolleybus, light rail, bicycle paths and buses. Three components of the bus system are part of the mobility solutions, the Metrobús that corresponds to the BRT network, the Passenger Transport Network (RTP) that serves integrated routes and concessionaires.
Now the Metrobús system is once again in the news after the announcement of the incorporation within a few months of 50 additional articulated electric buses, which will reach line 3 of the system (there are seven in total). Already in 2020, this corridor had received the first ten vehicles with this technology, corresponding to the Yutong ZK6180BEVG model.
During the hearing where the administration of Mexico City presented the advances in mobility and future projects for the different components of the public transport system, the announcement was made. This would make it possible to definitively have the first line of the fully electric BRT system; with the new buses of line 3, which runs from Tenayuca to Pueblo Santa Cruz Atoyac.
“We are part of an integrated network and a system that serves a city. We have expanded three lines that are more than 30 kilometers, and we have new payment methods, the most modern system in the country, being able to pay with the integrated mobility card and contactless mechanisms, both from bank credit cards, watches or cell phones, Two maintenance yards were added, and we are going to electrify Metrobus line 3, including the award of the recharging system. We will also have the most modern control center in Latin America that will allow us to connect with the police. At this time, the satisfaction of Metrobús users has never been so high” declared Roberto Capuano, General Director of Metrobús.
A cargo terminal with 32 spaces will be built in the Line 3 yard for this type of units, which are expected to facilitate the transfer of 190,000 users of the route. It was reported that they will be 18-meter articulated vehicles; same that will have capacity for 160 people and the doors will be retractable and with a high entrance. The chargers will be installed by the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE).
This project will have an investment of 38 million dollars; the price per unit will be USD643,000 and the monthly cost of the operation will be around 64,000 dollars, all the buses will arrive in the capital in January 2023. Some of the characteristics that the new vehicles will have will be: on-board batteries of 563 kWh and 507 kWh; USB ports and retractable doors; 330 km of autonomy. On the other hand, the energy consumption of each vehicle is around 1 kWh/km, according to the tests.