Twelve electric buses delivered by the Chinese car maker BYD to Argentina's Mendoza Province on Thursday will go into service in Mendoza's provincial capital later this year, and will become the largest fleet of its kind in the country.

Equipped with BYD's iron phosphate batteries, the buses reportedly have a driving range of 200 to 240 kilometers on a single charge.

The use of the electric buses from BYD will reduce local pollution, contribute to greener public transport services, and help to build a greener city, the provincial governor, Alfredo Cornejo, said at an event to celebrate the delivery of the vehicles.

Mendoza Province is an important wine-making region in Argentina, which is why provincial authorities have been seeking closer cooperation with China on ways to better protect the local environment.

According to Xinhua News Agency, Mendoza is the first province in Argentina to introduce electric buses into its urban transportation fleet.