Mexico’s government has officially certified Taruk, the nation’s first fully designed and manufactured electric bus, marking a milestone for the country’s electric mobility industry, local media reported.
The Taruk project is a collaboration between Megaflux, an emerging company specializing in electric vehicle technology and propulsion, and Dina (Diesel Nacional), a veteran Mexican bus manufacturer responsible for the chassis and bodywork. Initial production plans call for 2,000 units per year, with capacity to scale up to 6,000 annually, according to Latam mobility reports.
The 9.5-meter Taruk minibuss can accommodate 65 passengers and features a fully electric propulsion system with a range exceeding 300 kilometers. It is capable of a full charge in under four hours. Key components are produced and assembled in Iztapalapa, a borough of Mexico City.
The bus’s name, “Taruk,” meaning “roadrunner” in the Yaqui indigenous language, was chosen to reflect its intended agility and efficiency. The project benefited from collaboration with prominent academic institutions including the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), the Metropolitan Autonomous University (UAM), and the Secretariat of Science, Humanities, Technology, and Innovation (Conahcyt).
Altagracia Gómez, coordinator of the Regional Economic Development and Relocation Advisory Council (Caderr), highlighted the project’s origins under former Mexico City mayor Claudia Sheinbaum. She said the initiative aims “to compete directly with Asian manufacturers in the electric bus market, that are clearly dominating the regional zero emission bus landscape.”
The certification of Taruk represents a significant step for Mexico’s efforts to develop homegrown electric vehicle solutions and reduce urban emissions, positioning the country as an emerging player in the Latin American electric bus market.