THE ENERGY TRANSITION OF TRANSPORT IN COLOMBIA AND LATIN AMERICA: EXPERIENCES, CHALLENGES AND PATHWAYS TOWARD SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY.
The energy transition in the transport sector constitutes one of the main challenges for meeting decarbonization, energy security and urban sustainability goals in Colombia and Latin America. Over the past decade, the region has experienced significant growth in the adoption of electric mobility technologies, driving low-emission public transport projects and promoting new strategies for integrating the energy and transport sectors.
This symposium proposes a space to analyze experiences, advances, challenges and perspectives on the energy transition applied to passenger and freight transport. It will address emblematic cases of transport electrification in Colombia and Latin America, including the implementation of electric bus fleets in Bogotá and Medellín, the Ayacucho Streetcar as a reference for integrated urban electric mobility, Quito’s trolleybus system, recent BRT corridor developments with trolleybuses in São Paulo, and the technological transformation of Mexico City’s trolleybus systems, today recognized as one of the most ambitious public transport electrification programs in the region.
The symposium will also explore the electrification of freight transport, presenting experiences with electric truck operations in Colombia, as well as the potential of hydrogen as an energy vector for long-distance and heavy-duty transport applications. The technical, economic and infrastructure conditions necessary for the adoption of battery- and hydrogen-based technologies will be discussed, considering the geographic, logistical and energy particularities of Latin American countries.
Likewise, opportunities for integration between mass transit electric systems and energy supply networks will be analyzed. In particular, strategies for leveraging shared electrical infrastructure will be studied, in which rail and mass transit systems can supply energy to fleets of buses, taxis and commercial vehicles during periods of low demand, generating synergies that improve asset utilization and reduce investment costs.
Finally, the role of the private electric vehicle within the energy transition will be discussed, evaluating the challenges associated with its mass adoption, the expansion of charging infrastructure, electricity demand management, impacts on distribution systems, and the challenges arising from scenarios of tightness between energy supply and demand. The analysis will include regulatory, technological and planning aspects to ensure a sustainable adoption of electric mobility.
Researchers, operators, companies, government agencies and academics are invited to submit contributions that help understand the role of transport electrification as a fundamental element in building more efficient, resilient and sustainable mobility systems in Latin America.
