BYD Wins the Largest Pure-Electric Bus Order outside of China

Electronics, automobiles, new energy, and rail transit hi-tech company, BYD has announced that it has won cumulative orders to supply 1,002-unit pure-electric buses (E-buses) to the capital of Colombia, Bogotá. This is the largest order for pure-electric buses outside of China the firm has received to date, which sets a new record in sales volume for the overseas pure-electric bus industry.

Bogotá City Public Transport Authority launched a public commercial tender covering diesel, CNG, and electric technologies for 1,295 buses in August 2020. Three of BYD’s global strategic partners finally adopted BYD’s integrated electric bus solutions for their bids and successfully won the tender, a total of 1,002 pure electric buses. BYD will partner with local bus manufacturers Superpolo and BUSSCAR respectively for the bus body parts.

This batch of buses is scheduled to be delivered during 2021 and into the first half of 2022 and will be put into operation on 34 bus routes across five regions of the capital, providing residents along the routes with quiet, safe, and emissions-free travel services.

Earlier in December 2020, BYD delivered the first batch of 120 buses of 470 bus models while the remaining 350 units were announced to be delivered by the first quarter of 2021. Like the 470 bus models, this batch of 1002 buses also includes 9-meter and 12-meter models.

So far, BYD has won 1,472 orders for pure electric buses in the Colombian capital. According to TRANSMILENIO S.A., these buses will reduce 83,433 tons of carbon dioxide and 9.63 tons of particle emissions per year compared to diesel buses meeting fifth-generation European emission standards over the 15-year concession period, which will greatly improve local air quality and enhance Colombia’s overall ability to cope with climate change.

In addition to Bogotá, Colombia’s capital city, BYD buses operate in Medellin, Cali, and elsewhere. At present, BYD has accumulated 1,550 orders for pure electric buses in Colombia, continuously leading the push for bus electrification in Colombia and Latin America.

Speaking of their achievements, President BYD Motors, Stella Li said, “This more than 1,000 buses order marks a fresh start, which will effectively promote the rapid development of green transportation in Latin America and the coming era of global bus electrification. In the move towards electrification globally, BYD will continue to make great contributions moving forward.”

“Assembling the bus body parts in Colombia will not only help boost the national economy by creating skilled jobs for the local community, but also improve the quality of transportation services, cut carbon emissions, and improve the environment,” said Maria Fernanda Ortiz, head of the TRANSMILENIO S.A.

Lara Zhang, the Regional Director of BYD Latin America stated, “As the world’s leading new energy vehicle manufacturer, BYD has overcome many difficulties resulting from the pandemic, exclusively winning this tender because of our all-round capability.”

“We are extremely grateful for the trust and recognition of all our strategic clients, and we are also looking forward to working with Superpolo and BUSSCAR on this exciting project,” she added.