Barranquilla — In a key milestone for sustainable mobility in the country, leading companies, Colombia’s Ministry of Transport, and CALSTART today announced the launch of Ruta-E: Clean Energy in Motion, Colombia’s first zero-emission freight logistics corridor. The corridor will span 1,195 km between Bogotá and Cartagena, passing through Barranquilla, with the goal of mobilizing more than 1,000 electric trucks along this route by 2032.
Companies including TCC, DHL, BYD, Auteco Blue, Andrade Oil, Entrapetrol, and Voltrelli, along with business organizations such as LOGYCA and ACOMOVES, have already joined Ruta-E with the goal of advancing the electrification of freight operations, reducing investment risk in charging infrastructure, and expanding the availability of electric trucks in the country. The corridor will generate significant economic, operational, community, and public health benefits for Colombians and local industries.
“Colombia is already a regional leader in electric passenger vehicles, and we are going to achieve the same with trucks. The technology is ready, the economic benefits keep growing, and these industry leaders are telling us they want to adopt electric trucks and that they want to manufacture them. Our job is to make sure they can do so, benefiting both industry and the communities along the corridor,” said Colombia’s Minister of Transport, María Fernanda Rojas Mantilla.
Joao Meneghetti, Director of Sustainability for DHL Supply Chain in Latin America said, “At DHL Supply Chain we have begun the transition of our diesel fleets to lower-emission transportation technologies, including electric vehicles, contributing to reducing the carbon emissions associated with our operations. Initiatives such as Ruta-E will allow us to advance in the electrification of our fleets by incorporating technologically advanced vehicles, strengthening operational efficiency and offering more sustainable logistics solutions for our customers.”
Ruta-E aims to ensure the availability of charging points for electric trucks at least every 100 km, starting with the locations the private sector has identified as most strategic for early adoption. Preparatory economic analyses for Ruta-E show that electric trucks can already be a more cost-effective alternative than their combustion counterparts, and shield companies from diesel price volatility. The project is expected to reduce more than 185,000 tons of CO₂ annually by 2032, equivalent to the emissions of 40,000 passenger vehicles. The initiative will draw on the expertise of leading organizations in the sector, including ICCT and LOGYCA.
“At Auteco Blue, we are pioneers in electric mobility in Colombia. For more than five years, we have been building a portfolio focused on commercial vehicles, with technical capabilities and after-sales support tailored to our customers’ needs. Technology keeps advancing every day, and fleet electrification is no longer an aspiration, it has become a business decision and a reality. Today, commercial electric mobility operates mainly in last-mile delivery; Ruta-E opens the door to more operations and allows us to generate a much greater environmental impact for the country.” said María Paula Hoyos García, Marketing Manager at Auteco Blue.
“As part of the Global Green Road Corridors initiative, this corridor will be driven by the private sector and builds on the lessons learned from other corridors that CALSTART and partner organizations are deploying internationally. These projects help catalyze demand, reduce investment risk in charging infrastructure, and identify concrete opportunities for companies to integrate more clean and cost-effective vehicles into their operations,” said Ricardo García, Deputy Director for Emerging Markets at CALSTART/Drive to Zero.
The Government of Colombia has put in place a robust package of incentives to accelerate the deployment of electric vehicles, including VAT exemptions, income tax deductions, tariff exemptions, accelerated depreciation, and reduced fees and contributions for installing charging infrastructure. Internationally, Colombia co-leads the Global Memorandum of Understanding on Zero-Emission Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles (Global MOU) CALSTART’s Drive to Zero program. Through the Global MOU, 43 nations and nearly 300 subnational governments, private sector leaders, and organizations work in a coordinated way to accelerate the decarbonization of trucks and buses, in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement.
Ruta-E will stand as another example of Colombia’s leadership in transport decarbonization, paving the way for the electrification of other freight corridors nationally and internationally. The Ruta-E project will remain open to new companies wishing to join and become part of the transformation of the country’s freight sector.
About CALSTART’s Drive to Zero Program
CALSTART’s Drive to Zero program works to align the actions and ambition of governments and industry, with the goal of driving and accelerating the global growth of zero-emission commercial vehicles, and is backed by leading manufacturers, fleet operators, governments, and infrastructure providers across the sector. Learn more about the work of CALSTART and other lead organizations to accelerate corridor electrification through the Global Green Road Corridors Initiative.