MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Paraguay to receive electric buses and pickup trucks from Korean Donation

Jeepneys are very popular in the Philippines

Paraguay is set to receive 60 distinctive electric “jeepney” buses and 20 electric pickup trucks as a donation from the Korean government. The buses, known for their colorful, elongated design popular in the Philippines, are expected to arrive in Paraguay in October and will be assembled domestically, becoming operational by year-end.

The project is a result of cooperation with the Korean government. Forty Paraguayan engineers were trained in Korea to establish a tooling industry in Paraguay, with the aim of designing and manufacturing dies for electric vehicles locally, transforming Paraguay into a regional electromobility hub.

The “jeepneys” are designed by the Korea Automobile Technology Institute. Each bus can carry 15 people and has a limited range of 100 kilometers, with a maximum speed of 50 km/h. Due to these limitations, Deputy Minister of Industry Marco Riquelme confirmed they will be used for internal logistics and transporting officials within public institutions, rather than for public passenger transport. Ministries have already been surveyed to determine their needs.

Both the 60 electric buses and the 20 electric pickup trucks are part of a donation from the Korean government, emphasizing the cooperative nature of the initiative.

A new assembly plant for Chinese-made electric buses, called ”LCS (Luis Chavit Singson) Emon Lima Factory,“ was recently inaugurated in Batangas, Philippines, and will produce these ”e-jeepneys.”

The initiative aims to develop local capabilities in tooling and foster a new industry in Paraguay, aligning with the country's goal of becoming an electromobility center in the region.

While earlier reports questioned the purpose and origin of these buses, the government has now clarified their function and the nature of their acquisition.