Electric buses are proliferating beyond the usual EV hotspots. Caribbean islands, many of which have short travel distances and high fuel prices, could be great candidates for transit electrification. The Barbados Transport Board recently received 33 BYD battery-electric buses, and two more of the 30-foot buses are to be delivered by December. The buses were… Read more »
V2G is one of the hottest topics in the EV world. Using EVs as a giant virtual battery is a promising prospect for electric utilities—it would offer them an efficient, cost-effective way to manage demand and facilitate the integration of more renewable energy sources into the grid (and create a powerful incentive for them to… Read more »
Following a phased reopening of its Lancaster, California manufacturing plant in mid-May, BYD is back to building electric buses. The company’s first post-closure delivery completed an order of 10 battery-electric K9S buses to Link Transit in Wenatchee, Washington. The K9S 35-ft electric bus seats up to 32, has a range of 215 miles, and can… Read more »
The International Energy Agency’s Global EV Outlook is an annual publication that reports on the current state of electric mobility around the world. This year’s report notes the rapid proliferation of plug-in vehicles—from a mere 17,000 in 2010 to some 7.2 million in 2019. The growth has been concentrated in a few regions—47% of the… Read more »
Nobina, a large public transit operator in Sweden and the Nordic region, has ordered an additional 13 BYD eBuses. The new 12-meter models will serve the town of Piteå in the northeast of Sweden, just south of the Arctic Circle—the most northerly location in Europe where BYD’s buses have operated to date. The new buses… Read more »
Chinese EV-maker BYD has launched a new sub-brand called FinDreams, which will produce core components for clean energy vehicles. FinDreams has five subsidiaries, which will specialize in different fields of auto manufacturing, including batteries and powertrains. Industry experts say BYD’s move is part of its global expansion strategy. “For the overseas market, the independent system… Read more »
The popular discussion of EVs tends to center on range, and this has led battery makers to focus on increasing energy density—some would say, at the expense of other equally important attributes such as longevity and safety. Chinese EV giant BYD has introduced a new Blade Battery, which is designed to “bring battery safety back… Read more »
BYD has delivered two K7M 30-foot electric buses to Anaheim Resort Transportation (ART) in Anaheim, California. ART, which aims to have a 50 percent electrified fleet by the end of 2020, is scheduled to receive 40 more BYD electric buses this year. Stella Li, BYD North America President, said, “We applaud ART for its bold… Read more »
Chinese ridesharing company DiDi Chuxing plans to launch a fleet of electrified vehicles in Mexico. The rollout will include over 700 EVs and hybrids from OEMs such as BYD and Renault. Of these, 200 EVs will be for the exclusive use of DiDi drivers. DiDi claims to operate the world’s largest EV fleet, including nearly… Read more »
Volkswagen plans to acquire 20% of Chinese battery maker Guoxuan, Reuters reports, accelerating the German giant’s foray into China’s growing EV market. At current prices, the 20% stake would be worth about $560 million. Volkswagen is currently the top foreign automaker in China, and has set a goal of selling 1.5 million new energy vehicles… Read more »