The City of Colón, Panama is taking a step into the future with the procurement of a fleet of 1,500 fully electric BYD e6 taxis. The new vehicles were purchased in partnership with ENSA Servicios and TRASERVI and were joined by the first fast charging station in Colón province.
“The launch of the first pure electric taxi fleet in Panama and Central America was both an exciting and monumental occasion,” said Stella Li, Senior Vice President of BYD. “We thank ENSA Servicios and the groups Ruta Urbana de Colón, Radio Taxis del Atlántico and Taxis Auténticos of Colón to have chosen BYD as their partner. We will work together to introduce more electric vehicles in the future and offer passengers a more efficient public transport system with environmentally friendly technologies.”
The first 7 of the taxis were delivered, with another 30 vehicles following close behind. By the end of the year, there will be 97 taxis in the fleet as Colón ramps up to the target of 1,500 BYD e6s in the taxi fleet. Bulk orders like this coming in from Panama is a clear sign that cities, states, and countries around the world see a future that is electric as part of their plans. 1,500 taxis in one city may seem small when looking at the bigger picture, but it establishes a beacon of hope for the electrified future across private fleets, transit fleets, and even private vehicles in Panama.
Much like Shenzhen and its fully electric bus fleet, 99%+ electric taxi fleet, and an impressive array of electrified 2- and 3-wheel vehicles, Colón shows the world that converting to electric vehicles at scale is not only possible, it is easier to do than slower conversions. The transition in Colón is supported by a new fast charging station that will show taxi drivers and other leaders in government and private industries how simple electric vehicle charging is.
Looking beyond the taxi conversion, BYD signed a deal to bring some of its fully electric K9 buses to Panama City. Local operators MiBux and ENSA Servicios will pilot the buses to test its potential as part of the local transit fleet.
Who will be buying these taxis? Panama has had issues with replacing the red devils in the city, paying out owners for their old equipment to find out that they just recycled them and are still being used throughout the country. My fear would be that this new equipment will be vandalized to allow existing taxis to continue working.