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Metropol Buys 150 China-Built CNG Buses for $45 Million as Shipments Begin

Deliveries begin in December to position the new buses for early‑2026 service on Buenos Aires routes.

Overview

  • King Long finished the 150 units in Xiamen in a 16‑business‑day cycle, with initial batches due in December and the bulk arriving between Christmas and January.
  • Metropol plans to put the CNG fleet into service on lines 65 and 151 in early 2026 following delivery.
  • The operator installed high‑capacity CNG refueling at Estación Sola in Barracas, sized to supply hundreds of buses daily.
  • Company statements and local rules frame the move as a lower‑emission bridge to the 2027 phase‑out of new diesel buses in CABA, citing up to 25% less CO2 and reduced noise.
  • The US$45 million purchase is described as the largest CNG intake by an Argentine urban bus firm and was financed with company funds and a bank consortium including a yuan line from ICBC, according to Metropol.