Argentinian bus manufacturer TAT has started developing the country’s first hybrid city bus, which will be ready coming December and uses local technology and components. The project is an initiative of the Buenos Aires Environmental Agency along with the La Plata University and bus manufacturer TAT, short for Tecnología Avanzada en Transporte, and part of the Cometrans group, which also owns a number of transportation companies.

According to a local newspaper, the first unit will have a unit price of 800 thousand pesos (266 thousand US dollars) and will function on one of the Buenos Aires inner city lines to test its functioning and the effects. The bus will be using the electric engine in the city's downtown, usually packed at rush hour because of its narrow streets, and helps reduce noise and contamination in the area. Meanwhile, in other areas where the buses can speed up, it would turn to the diesel engine. Once the prototype is running the municipality will analyze how she can instrument its serial production to reduce costs and encourage bus companies to choose these models. The State might be able to give a subsidy if they show they are environmentally sustainable.

According to estimations the promoters of this initiative are expecting to run twice the distance with the same amount of fuel, and reduce carbon emissions with 55% and other greenhouse gases. The need to reduce noise and air contamination in the city is urgent. According to statistics published by the World Bank the metropolitan region has to take care of the mobility of 13 million people who demand 18 million daily trips, 7.5 million of them by bus and another 7 million by taxi or private car.