SQM Donates Electric Bikes to Technical Training Center in Luz Divina

In order to improve the commutes of students at the “La Chimba” study center, SQM–the global leader in the production of lithium, a key input for the development of electromobility–has donated 20 electric bikes, one charging station and a parking area.

At the “La Chimba” Technical Training Center, located in the Luz Divina squatter settlement in Antofagasta, 60 students travel from different parts of the city to take classes that end after 10pm at night. The long distances, commute times and limited offering of public transportation in the area often make it hard for students to get to class.

In order to reduce student drop-out rates stemming from the complex commute, SQM and the Recrea Foundation donated 20 electric bikes to the students, neighbors and Father Felipe Berríos, the priest in charge of the training center. These bikes will help improve the students’ commutes to and from class.

“Thirty percent of our students live in areas near La Chimba, but the other 70% comes from other parts of the city and it takes them more than an hour to get here. These electric bikes will benefit them, helping to optimize time and save money getting here,” explained Father Felipe Berríos.

The chaplain added: “We are grateful to SQM for bringing electromobility to people with scare resources since renewable energy is generally associated with more affluent people. Without a doubt, the donation of these electric bikes is very significant for us all.”

Pablo Pisani, Director of Communications, Sustainability and Public Affairs at SQM, explained: “This is a very nice initiative since it directly supports a community that will use the sustainable bikes to improve its quality of life. SQM is a mining company that has built itself into the global leader in the production of lithium. Through this business and initiatives like these, we hope to contribute to the global development of electromobility.”

Susana Véliz, director of the La Chimba Training Center, expressed thanks for the initiative and commented: “This is incredible because it helps us all be more charitable. The easiest way to preach is to hold hands and support one another. Through this project one really sees that help arrives. We thank SQM for the donation, which will directly benefit people that really need our support.”

Each electric bicycle can be operated in two ways: using energy generated by the lithium battery or by pedaling it like a traditional bike. Once fully charged (just like a cell phone), the sustainable bike has 80 km of autonomy.