BYD Unleashes “Achiever” in Texas, As SF Receives Its Third Electric School Bus

It is called the ‘Achiever’ for good reason. The radical looking school bus — already attractive to the students who will use it — looks like it came straight out of a sci-fi movie set. It was revealed at the ‘Transporting Students with Disabilities and Special Needs (TSD) Conference in Frisco, Texas, just recently.

The V2G technology allows the school bus to serve as a power source that provides clean energy during the hours it’s not being operated. It also uses what is considered to be BYD’s proprietary and safest battery technology with up to 60% lower maintenance and energy costs.

“We are proud to showcase the Type A BYD School Bus here at the TSD show,” BYD Vice President of Operations, Patrick Duan, said, emphasizing how BYD is looking forward to providing a clean mode of transportation to schools across the United States.

“It’s encouraging to see school districts invest in the future of their students while simultaneously making a positive impact on the environment,” Duan added.

Almost simultaneously, just three days ago, BYD delivered its third K9MD battery-electric bus to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) this past month. Part of a larger 12-vehicle fleet order from various suppliers, the additional bus supports the city’s Sustainability and Climate Action Program — an ambitious program for an all-electric, carbon-neutral San Francisco by 2040.

The SFMTA’s 3rd electric bus from BYD. (Photo from BYD)

While the Achiever was unveiled, the BYD buses were being tested on SFMTA’s most challenging routes, and data was gathered on how the battery-electric vehicles respond to San Francisco’s uniquely hilly streets.

“SFMTA is proud to be a leader in addressing the climate crisis,” Julie Kirschbaum, Director of Transit for SFMTA, said. “We’re committed to embracing the greenest fleet possible and getting people out of private vehicles and into more sustainable modes of transportation.”

The BYD K9MD can seat up to 42 passengers and includes 2 ADA compliant wheelchair positions. Equipped with the industry’s safest batteries, the BYD buses will provide its passengers with reliable, smooth, and sustainable transportation throughout beautiful San Francisco.

Except for the powertrains and batteries, both buses will be built by members of the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation (SMART) workers Union, Local 105, in BYD’s manufacturing facility located in Lancaster, California.

“BYD is proud to work with SFMTA. Muni has shown time and time again that the city is a leader in providing safe and sustainable transportation. San Francisco has always set a wonderful example for the importance of public transportation, and we couldn’t be happier to support a program that’s striving towards 100% electrification,” Duan concluded.