BYD is moving into car country with its first order for fully electric transit buses in Germany. The orders for 22 of its 12-meter buses came from German public transit operators BOGESTRA and HCR and are aimed at improving ailing air quality in the greater Ruhr Metropolitan Region.
Image courtesy: BYD
With news of the deal landing the same week that German powerhouse Daimler announced that it will no longer invest any funds in R&D for petrol engines, the electric buses send a much louder message than electrifying a few routes across town. They serve as a powerful statement to the region that electric vehicles are the future of transportation in the country with petrol pumping through its veins.
Each bus can move up to 80 passengers around at a time, sharing the electric vehicle experience with each one. “Being able to travel from Weitmar to Riemke with zero emission is an important and first step in the right direction for climate protection. It shows that Bogestra keeps its promises and assumes regional responsibility for a sustainable future,” said Bochum’s Mayor Thomas Eiskirch.
Isbrand Ho, Managing Director of BYD Europe, concludes: “We are very proud of this important order, which demonstrates our capabilities in a market dominated by German brands. BYD’s efforts will make a strong contribution to reducing emissions and improving air quality. And in our eyes, that is even more important than our first order in Germany.”
Twenty of the new BYD buses will go to transit operator BOGESTRA with the other two buses going to HCR. The buses will arrive in the summer of 2020, when they will be put straight to use on route 354 in Bochum, route 380 in Gelsenkirchen, and in Herne. BOGESTRA tapped the EV fast charging experts at ABB to supply the chargers that will keep the new electric fleet fully topped up at three of its depots.
Source: BYD | BOGESTRA
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