Rio de Janeiro
Eduardo da Costa Paes Mayor of Rio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro, in collaboration with the C40 Cities Finance Facility, will enable the electrification of 80-100 buses and build a sustainable Electric Bus Depot.
Rio de Janeiro, in collaboration with the C40 Cities Finance Facility, will enable the electrification of 80-100 buses and build a sustainable Electric Bus Depot.
- Location Rio de Janeiro Brazil
- Population 6.7 million
- Buses 80 - 100
Rio de Janeiro, in collaboration with the C40 Cities Finance Facility, will enable the electrification of 80-100 buses and build a sustainable Electric Bus Depot. The project will begin with a pilot until 2024, and will then scale up to include Rio’s entire bus system, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and paving the way for the full electrification of public transit.
The Eco-Depot will allow the sustainable charging of electric buses while integrating other components such as solar panels, an efficient lighting system, water capture and reuse systems for washing buses, sustainable building materials, façade greening, and waste disposal. Combining the electrification of bus fleets with building sustainable depots ensures the overall sustainability of the bus system.
Electrifying buses will have enormous health benefits for the local community by improving air quality. Electrification of 20% of the fleet would result in around €11 million of savings in the healthcare sector by reducing premature deaths and air quality-related diseases. These diseases are caused by small particular matter (PM2.5) pollution from diesel vehicles, and includes asthma, cancer, and lung and heart conditions.
Electrifying diesel buses has the potential to improve the quality of the public transport provided in Rio, reducing noise as well as air pollution. Public transport users are often disproportionately low-income groups and more vulnerable members of the population. Improving the frequency, scale, and accessibility of public transport can allow better access to hospitals, schools, employment, and leisure and cultural areas across all of society.
The electrification of the bus fleet in the medium and long term is a commitment established by the City of Rio de Janeiro and of interest to the current management of the Transport Secretariat. It is also a fundamental step, especially with regard to the reduction of pollutants and consequent benefits to the population's health.
This project will create a number of good, green jobs. By delivering on this commitment from its Climate Action Plan, Rio can create sustainable, equitable work for local people. These jobs will look to the future, creating skills for zero-emissions technologies whilst helping to fight environmental breakdown.
Electrifying the bus fleets and depots of Rio has a transformative potential in the region. Rio is a very influential city, and is often seen as a ‘model’ in Brazil and Latin America. This project will establish business models and operational arrangements which will be able to trigger electrification projects in other cities, and may even contribute to opening the e-bus market in Brazil to other manufacturers. Rio can lead the way in a systemic shift towards sustainable and equitable zero-emissions mass transit in Latin America.