The Argentine capital Buenos Aires is following the example of other cities with over a million inhabitants and upgrading its BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) system: electric buses will soon offer fast and comfortable travel, mainly on dedicated lanes with priority at traffic lights, making public transport more attractive. Bus routes with lanes partially separated from private traffic have been in place for some time; ten routes belong to this so-called Metrobus network. The new electric bus system in Buenos Aires, on the other hand, is referred to as the ‘TRAMBUS’.
The first pilot phase is just getting underway: five 12-metre electric buses are running on a 12-kilometre section along Avenida Juan B. Justo. The first regular tram bus line, the new T1 line, is scheduled to start operating by the end of 2026 and will run from Nueva Pompeya to Aeroparque, passing through the Palermo and Caballito districts, among others. There will be 35 or 36 stops along the new line, eleven of which will have a special design at key junctions. The separate lanes are expected to reduce travel time by around 40% compared to current regular services on the same route. A second line, T2, is scheduled to go into operation in 2027, with further routes to follow in the longer term.
For the first two lines, the procurement of 40 standard buses, 15 articulated buses and 40 charging stations from Argentine coachbuilder Todobus is planned – on chassis and with e-equipment from the Brazilian Agrale Group, distributed in Argentina by Megacar. The buses will be manufactured on Agrale MT17e (standard 12-metre) and MT27e (articulated) chassis.
Some design features might remind of a well-known southern European BRT electric bus model, whose manufacturer also participated in the tender and was originally supposed to supply the 15 articulated buses after pre-qualification. However, Megacar/Agrale/Todobus was awarded the entire contract in the final tender.
Five buses have currently been delivered and are entering service in the pilot phase. A total of 20 solo buses are to be delivered by spring 2026. The first vehicles already attracted some attention during test drives due to their unusual design.
Some vehicle data – Agrale model MT17e:
- Length: 12.2 m
- Width: 2.46 m
- Wheelbase: 6.2 m
- Electric motor: Permanent magnet synchronous motor
- Power: max. rated power 400 kW
- Batteries: 8 Li-Ion-LFP at 280 kWh
- Expected range: 270 km
