BYD recently landed a big prize in the nascent but highly competitive electric bus market. It won the 2016 Electric Bus of the Year Award by the Los Angeles Sustainability Coalition, as announced at a recent event celebrating sustainability efforts in the region, according to an email sent to EV Obsession and CleanTechnica.
The 2016 Electric Bus of the Year Award is meant to give the company credit for its leadership in the zero-emissions bus sector, particularly through its growing production presence in the region (which the Los Angeles Sustainability Coalition is fond of). The company now employs hundreds of locals at its Lancaster, California, facility and supplies electric buses to transit agencies around the US.
The Event Chairman of the Los Angeles Sustainability Coalition Transportation on the Move Series, Dr Sherman Gay, commented: “BYD buses are making a major contribution to the alleviation of air pollution throughout Los Angeles County, at the same time that they’re creating jobs. We look forward to seeing what they do next.”
The recent email provides some background information: “BYD offers several different all electric, zero-emission buses designed to meet the needs of different transit agencies. These include 7 different models in the US market, including 4 different sizes of transit buses and 3 different coach bus options. The iron phosphate battery, also manufactured by BYD, is fire-safe, completely recyclable, and incredibly long lasting, allowing BYD to offer an unheard of 12-year warranty to its customers. This battery sets the industry standard in safety, both to passengers and to the environment.”
BYD is currently planning to greatly expand the production and assembly facility in Lancaster over the coming years, with local employment there expected to triple within only 3 years. The reason for the expansion is simply growing demand in the US market.