International Tender on Three E-Buses for Costa Rica

The tender includes fast and slow-charging infrastructure and training

GIZ will purchase three battery electric buses and the charging infrastructure for a pilot project in Costa Rica. On behalf of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), the project MiTransporte in Costa Rica has recently published an international tender on three 12-metre buses, fast and slow-charging infrastructure as well as training and after-sales services.

This pilot project paves the way for the electrification of public transport, which the Government of Costa Rica promotes actively. As defined in the Decarbonisation Plan (2018-2050), 30% of the public transport fleet are to be zero emissions until 2035. Through the “Law of incentives and the promotion of electric mobility”, bus operators are obliged to gradually electrify their fleet by 5% every two years. Considering the energy matrix of Costa Rica with more than 98% of the electricity coming from renewable energies, the shift from Diesel to electric buses has a large GHG mitigation potential.

The pilot project is implemented by the Costa Rican Presidency, the Ministry of Environment, the Directorate for Climate Change, the Ministry of Transport, the Public Transport Council, ICE Group, Regulatory Authority of Public Services (ARESEP), Foundation CRUSA, UN Environment and GIZ. Starting early 2020, the buses will be integrated into the urban bus system in order to gain experiences on the ground about the consumption to generate trust in the technology to reduce existing barriers which currently prevent private bus operators from making larger investment, and to develop capacities in the public and private sector.

Further information on the tender process and all the documents are available in the following link:

Joining of this tendering procedure

Time limit for receiving offers:

11.10.2019 12:00 (CEST)