Electric vehicle and bus adoption in Latin America

Latin America is experiencing a significant transition toward cleaner mobility through the expansion of electric vehicle fleets. In Colombia, registrations of range-extended electric vehicles (REEV) saw a 128.3% year-on-year increase in July 2026. Juan Carlos López, General Manager of Deepal and Changan Colombia, noted that REEV technology “offers significant operating-cost savings by allowing most trips to be made in electric mode without autonomy anxiety.”

This growth in the private sector is mirrored by large-scale public transport electrification. Major cities including Bogotá, Santiago, São Paulo, Mexico City, and Medellín are scaling up electric bus purchases.

By August 2026, Latin American cities reached a milestone of 10,000 electric buses in operation across more than 80 cities in 13 countries. Santiago, São Paulo, and Bogotá are the regional leaders, collectively operating over 7,000 electric buses. This transition is estimated to prevent more than 10 million tonnes of CO2 emissions annually. São Paulo has implemented a model that combines regulatory requirements for fleet renewal with strategic financing to assist municipalities in decarbonizing public transport.