According to the goals set by the Chilean Government, electromobility will be 40% for private vehicles

Only the incorporation of light electric vehicles will prevent the emission of 11 million tons of carbon dioxide per year in the southern country

Promoting the efficient use of energy is one of the most ambitious goals that the Chilean Government has set for the coming years . Within the guidelines that allow a 20% reduction in energy demand by improving the efficiency of the car fleet, in 2050, urban public transport in Chile must be 100% electric, according to the goal set in the National Mobility Strategy, agreed by the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications and the Ministry of Environment. 

Currently, public passenger transport in Chile already has an important penetration of electrical technologies, mostly railway systems such as the Santiago Metro, the Valparaíso Metro, the Central Train, the Biotrén, as well as Valparaíso trolleybuses, some taxis and demonstration buses. There are also projects under development such as electric buses in Transantiago, cable cars and trams in different cities.

Due to intensive use, public transport is the segment where electromobility can be developed more naturally, given that the operating cost dominates the capital cost, and there is a greater intervention of public policy in passenger transport, allowing serve as a starting point for the penetration and consolidation of these technologies in the country.

40% target for private vehicles

Although electric cars for private use will not invade the market with the same speed with which public transport will, the Chilean Government has set a goal to achieve that in 2050, at least 40% of private vehicles work with power supply, considering that despite the low penetration they have had so far, this technology has begun to gain space as it has improved its autonomy. 

Thanks to the fact that electric vehicles have a lower operating cost, the incursion has been a little faster in regard to light and mid-use cars such as taxis, buses and delivery fleets. Similarly, smaller electric vehicles such as motorcycles, bicycles and other similar vehicles have gained popularity in the market, due to the feasibility of use and profitability. 

Reduce pollution and energy expenditure

Chile has shown particular interest in implementing public policies that aim at an efficient use of energy in the transport sector to reduce the effects on the environment, because one third of the energy consumption in Chile corresponds to this sector and, of this fraction , 98% comes from petroleum products, making it responsible for about 20% of the country's total greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, the Chilean government seeks to reduce dependence on imported fuels and the vulnerability that this represents for a country with low oil production. 

According to official estimates set out in this report, considering only the goal for light vehicles, the incorporation of these electric cars will prevent the emission of eleven million tons of carbon dioxide per year in the southern country and reduce energy expenditure by more than 3,300 million dollars annually, corresponding almost exclusively to imported fuels, according to the calculations of the Ministry of Energy.