BYD Rolls Into Busworld Europe With An End-To-End Transit + Clean Energy Solution

BYD charged into Busworld Europe 2019 this week in Brussels touting its ability to deliver a “total transport solution” for transit operators to not only electrify their fleet, but to power them with BYD technology as well.

“We have established a firm foothold in Europe,” said Managing Director of BYD Europe, Isbrand Ho. “We’ve seen continued market success in 2019 and we are looking forward to some exciting opportunities with new and existing customers next year, too.”

BYD Europe’s Isbrand Ho announced the company’s holistic energy solution and new buses at Busworld 2019. Image courtesy: BYD

BYD kicked off in 1993 as a humble battery company, and over the subsequent decades established itself in the automotive industry, and later, in the world of photovoltaic solar. BYD has never been a sexy brand though many of its vehicle evoke an emotional response. Instead, it has built a company around the singular vision of founder Wang Chuanfu t0 build a powerhouse new energy company around three key pillars of energy storage, renewable generation, and electric vehicles.

If that sounds familiar, it should, but BYD has been at this a lot longer than Tesla has in the US, and the team at BYD has had its head to the ground just plugging away developing and brings new clean technologies, innovations, and solutions to customers. At Busworld 2019 in Brussels, BYD Europe is having a big coming out party, presenting its end to end solution that promises to enable transit operators to clean up their emissions footprints from well to wheel.

Over the last few years, BYD has built up its European team around its two manufacturing facilities in the region, in Komarom, Hungary, and Beauvais in France. While BYD Europe is at Busworld to showcase its latest product developments in the automotive space, the company’s presence in Europe is more than simply supplying eBuses. BYD Europe has the skill, expertise and resources to provide a total operating solution, including charging and energy storage, and the delivery of fleet management support while vehicles are in service.

The offerings include energy management, solar panels, charging infrastructure, electric forklifts, warehouse equipment, along with the promise of a full line of zero emission BYD eTrucks. To project the company’s bold vision, BYD introduced its newly upgraded flagship 12-meter fully electric bus at the show. The new bus sports a new look on the outside and a number of new features on the inside for passengers to improve the overall riding experience.

Image courtesy: BYD

BYD is touting the new model as the “bus of the future” and by all accounts, it does raise the standards for the electric transit bus in a handful of user noticeable ways. The new buses are more than just good looks on the outside, with an improved look on the inside complemented by an upgraded air conditioning system. The vehicles also included upgraded safety options that reinforce the fact that BYD’s buses are more than just motors and batteries.

BYD also brought its 8.7 meter electric “midi-bus” to Busworld to give potential customers a look at some of its more diverse offerings in the transit space. BYD continues to have a strong presence in the European market, having sold nearly 1,000 vehicles to date, with more than 50,000 vehicles sold globally. That footprint is heavily based in its home market in China, with nearly 16,000 buses sold in its home city of Shenzhen alone where all of the buses operating in the city are now fully electric.