São Paulo has added 500 battery-electric buses to its public transport fleet, increasing the city’s total number of zero-emission buses to 1,759 vehicles, including trolleybuses, as it continues to accelerate the decarbonisation of urban transport.
The city also confirmed that it will no longer procure buses powered exclusively by diesel, reinforcing its commitment to transitioning to cleaner public transportation.
BYD Delivers Majority of New Fleet
Chinese manufacturer BYD supplied 265 of the newly deployed electric buses, representing more than half of the latest delivery and marking what the company described as the largest single handover of heavy-duty electric buses in Brazil.
The delivery includes BYD’s D9W battery-electric bus and the BC22 articulated model designed for high-capacity urban routes.
The 23-metre BC22 is equipped with the company’s Blade Battery technology, which is also used in BYD’s passenger electric vehicles.
Following the latest deployment, BYD now has nearly 550 electric buses operating in São Paulo and approximately 700 vehicles in service across Brazil.
The company manufactures electric bus chassis at its facility in Campinas and battery systems at its plant in Manaus.
Diesel-Only Bus Purchases to End
São Paulo’s city administration announced that future fleet acquisitions will exclude buses powered solely by diesel.
The decision builds on procurement policies introduced by transport authority SPTrans in 2022, when restrictions were placed on purchasing new diesel-only buses as part of the city’s long-term emissions reduction strategy.
With the latest additions, São Paulo maintains the largest electric bus fleet in Brazil, operating 1,759 zero-emission buses, including 189 trolleybuses.
Electrification Accelerates Across Latin America
The pace of fleet electrification has accelerated significantly over the past 18 months.
According to earlier data from the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), São Paulo operated approximately 460 electric buses at the beginning of 2025. By February 2026, the fleet had already expanded to 1,271 vehicles before reaching its current total following the latest deliveries.
The city’s expansion reflects broader momentum across Latin America, where the regional electric bus fleet has now surpassed 10,000 vehicles.
According to the ICCT, Chile, Colombia, and Brazil account for around 80% of the region’s electric bus fleet, with deployments concentrated in several major metropolitan areas.
