(Yicai Global) Feb. 7 -- A fleet of 20 electric buses made by Chinese manufacturer BYD has landed at the Port of Manta in Ecuador as the vehicle maker looks to tap the Latin American market.

The country's second-most populous city, Guayaquil, will use the buses for public transport to serve its two million residents, state-owned news agency Xinhua reported.

Saucinc, Guayaquil's local public transport operator, paid USD7.7 million in November for the buses and a fast-charging network. The 12-meter long buses can charge in just four hours and run for 300 kilometers before they need topping up, making them considerably cheaper to run than their diesel powered predecessors.

The buses will serve 10,500 commuters a day in the city, which is the second South American market BYD has rode into in just two months. It delivered 100 electric buses to the Chilean capital Santiago in December.

Editor: James Boynton