BYD Company Ltd., has partnered with Chilectra, to introduce the first free community transport service provided by a pure electric bus in Santiago, Chile. The vehicle to serve the system is the BYD K9, a 12-meter, 3-door pure electric transit bus with capacity for 70 passengers, also featuring in-wheel motors, low floor, access for people with disabilities and space to anchor a wheelchair. It runs on BYD's proprietary Iron-Phosphate Battery, a fire-safe, lengthened lifespan and completely recyclable battery that grants the vehicle a 324kWh capacity and 250 km driving range on a single charge, which takes about 5 hours to be completed and takes place at off-peak hours, when energy cost and demand are lower.

The cost to fully charge the BYD K9 barely exceeds 20,000 Chilean Pesos ($30) and its performance is 1km per kWh which translates into about 80 Chilean pesos ($0.12) per kilometer.