Economic and Financial Evaluation of E-Buses in Colombia

Study Extract

This consultancy is developed within TRANSfer’s country component in Colombia which aims at preparing a National E-Bus Promotion Programme (E-Bus). In Colombia the transport sector is responsible for 12% of the country’s overall greenhouse gas emissions and the sharply increasing motorisation rate is further aggravating this tendency.

Buses play an important role in Colombia’s transport landscape. However, given the increasing urban population densities and the deteriorating air quality (23% of Bogota’s local air pollution comes from buses, especially from older buses), the bus systems’ various typologies and routes – from small feeder buses to bi-articulated high frequency corridor buses – together imply an untapped potential for providing access to clean urban mobility. Bus fleet electrification and its concomitant improvement in quality (e.g. surrounding corridor air quality, newer buses, etc.) has the potential to bring back passengers to public transportation. The need to generate schemes promoting the use of electric vehicles is also acknowledged by the Colombian Government trough Law 1964 from 11th July 2019

The objective of this study is to

1. conduct a financial exercise that estimates the impact (expenses) of several bus technologies (diesel, electric, natural gas vehicles), in a real transport operation;
2. conduct an economic analysis that helps to identify the scheme of project that best contributes to the countries welfare; and
3. propose a financing mechanism that allows the mobilization of resources (public and/or private) in an efficient way, in order to implement a fleet electrification program at the service of public transport.

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