BYD intends to be a major player in the market for heavy duty electric vehicles in Europe. It is already a leader in the production of electric buses on the Continent, with a factory in Allonne, France and second factory in Komarom, Hungary. Now it says it is ready to move into electric trucks.
In Murcia, Spain, last week, it showed off three models it plans to introduce throughout Europe in coming years. Javier Contijoch, vice president of sales at BYD Europe, said: “Spain was chosen as the first pilot market. The premiere of the BYD electric trucks is the start of the roll-out in Europe. Other European regions are soon to follow.”
According to Electrive, the three vehicles on display were the T6, a box truck with a weight rating of 7.5 tons, the Q1M yard tractor — a truck designed specifically for use by airports, seaports, and distribution centers — and the fully electric T3 commercial van. These are the first of a full range of electric light and heavy commercial vehicles that BYD plans to bring to market in Europe in the coming years.
Isbrand Ho, managing director, of BYD Europe, told the press at the unveiling ceremony, “Our previous pure electric products have cemented their position in their respective categories — taxis, city buses and forklifts. We are confident that this fourth product range — e-trucks — will also win sales success even though the European commercial vehicle sector is intensely competitive.”
BYD has established itself as one of the largest manufacturers of heavy electric vehicles in Europe. Its electric buses are now in revenue service in Sweden, Germany, Denmark, England, Italy, and France. It also has supplied electric buses to cities like Medellin, Columbia; Santiago, Chile; and Jerusalem.
Most buses are powered by diesel engines, which not only spew large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere but also add other pollutants like particulates and nitrous oxides to the air we breathe. Replacing diesel powered buses and heavy trucks with zero emissions electric vehicles will be an important part of reducing carbon emissions from the transportation sector.
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