Ie-tram: A glimpse inside

In Mérida, the launch of the first electric public transportation system is getting closer, as the first unit of the Ie-tram has arrived in Mexico and is expected to reach Yucatán during this Saturday.

Through social media, the Governor of Yucatán, Mauricio Vila Dosal, shared a couple of photographs of the Irizar vehicle at one of the maneuvering yards in the fiscal port of Veracruz, from where it will depart to reach Progreso.

Thanks to the images of the pilot unit, which will undergo operational tests during the months of July and August, it has been confirmed that the electric buses of the Ie-tram that will be circulating in Mérida will be 12-meter long buses with three door systems.

According to the manufacturer’s information, this model has a maximum capacity of 97 passengers and its dimensions are 12.160 meters long, 3.40 meters high, and 2.50 meters wide, with a height of 32 centimeters above street level, so it cannot pass over speed bumps.

It uses 206-kilowatt lithium-ion batteries, allowing it to travel up to 350 kilometers without the need for recharging. In slow charging, it takes 3 to 4 hours to fill the battery, in fast charging it takes two hours, and in ultra-fast charging it takes five minutes through the pantograph that connects to the top of the unit each time the vehicle arrives at one of the stations.

Unlike the Busscar units from Mercedes Benz that operate on the “Va y Ven” routes, the Irizar Ie-tram units cannot kneel to board wheelchair users. However, they do have access ramps and a designated space for people with disabilities.

The construction of the Ie-tram in Yucatán is progressing on time and as planned. The exclusive lane on Avenida 39, from Parque La Plancha to the city’s peripheral road, has already been completed in the eastern part of the city.

¡Cada vez está más cerca el futuro del transporte en #Yucatán!

La primera unidad del Ie-tram ya está en #Veracruz, rumbo a nuestro estado para incorporarse al Sistema de Transporte “Va y Ven” y transformar en equipo la movilidad con la primera ruta 100% eléctrica del sureste del… pic.twitter.com/05D6eHKZiL

— Mauricio Vila (@MauVila) May 26, 2023

Last Thursday, the groundbreaking ceremony took place in the municipality of Kanasín, which, like Umán, will now be interconnected with Mérida through this electric public transportation system.

TYT Newsroom