BYD Gives SkyRail System Its International Debut At C40 Summit In Mexico City

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BYD’s elevated, layered urban transportation system SkyRail was given its international debut by the company at the recent C40 Mayors Summit in Mexico City, according to an email sent to CleanTechnica.

byd-skytrain byd-skyrail

For those unfamiliar with the C40 group, it’s essentially a global network of large cities that intend to collaborate and/or share knowledge on climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts. It currently represents more than 600 million people, spread throughout more than 80 of the world’s megacities.

With regard to BYD’s SkyRail system, the idea is to deal cost effectively with traffic congestion and air pollution problems, through the use of elevated rail rather than more expensive conventional subway/metro systems.

c40-byd

The email provides more:

“BYD took 5 years and invested 5 billion yuan to develop the SkyRail, and just launched it in Shenzhen, China this past October. Today, the SkyRail is officially launching for the international market in Mexico City. This marks the company’s entry into the multi-trillion yuan mass transit market.

“BYD SkyRail is a strategic solution for each global city to tackle traffic congestion. As a mass transit alternative with a relatively smaller passenger capacity than a traditional subway, BYD’s SkyRail delivers numerous benefits, including: capital expenditure at only 1/5 of that of metro, construction period is only 1/3 of that of metro, excellent topographic adaptability due to higher climbing ability and smaller turning radius, reduced noise to allow travel through architectural complexes, great views of developing cityscapes, an independent right of way, flexible management to allow for capacity between 10,000 to 30,000 passengers an hour (each way) and a max speed of up to 80km/h. It is easily applicable to heavy traffic routes in small and medium sized cities, and CBD’s and routes connecting tourist attractions in large cities.”

SkyRail will now be co-promoted by various mayors with BYD as a solution to traffic and emissions problems.

Notably, the summit also saw BYD Chairman Wang Chuanfu publicly sign a memorandum of understanding with Edmonton International Airport for a suite of products (electric buses and cars, solar PV systems, solar street lighting, and energy storage systems) — notably, Edmonton is considering the purchase of 25–40 electric buses. BYD’s Wang Chuanfu also signed a contract at the summit with Cape Town, South Africa, for 11 electric buses.

byd-electric-buses


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James Ayre

James Ayre's background is predominantly in geopolitics and history, but he has an obsessive interest in pretty much everything. After an early life spent in the Imperial Free City of Dortmund, James followed the river Ruhr to Cofbuokheim, where he attended the University of Astnide. And where he also briefly considered entering the coal mining business. He currently writes for a living, on a broad variety of subjects, ranging from science, to politics, to military history, to renewable energy.

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