During the recent Chilean Exhibition on Energy-Saving Technologies, the country's minister of energy spoke about the need for a sustainable energy mix and praised the prospect of BYD electric buses operating on the streets of the Chile's capital, Santiago.

On display at the exhibition was the BYD k9, which is billed as the world's first long-range battery electric bus.

Currently, the Chilean goal is to immediately reduce emissions and wasteful energy consumption by 20 percent. This is crucial not only for the environment, but for the balance sheet of a nation that is currently importing nearly 70 percent of energy consumed. Minister of Energy Maximo Pacheco noted that full service new energy companies such as BYD are necessary to implementing the change required for meeting these goals. Last year, the Chilean Minister of the Environment, Maria Ignacia Benitez had similar remarks during a BYD Electric Bus Pilot Program with the University of Lima.