WENATCHEE, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Link Transit in the City of Wenatchee, Washington has made a historic decision that secures it a spot among America’s most elite transit agencies. This summer, Link will take delivery of their first four battery electric transit buses from the global electric vehicle leader BYD Coach & Bus. “This is a historic moment for both Link Transit and the state of Washington,” said Richard DeRock Executive Director of Link Transit. “This decision supported by the Link Transit board of directors is yet another example of the forward-thinking attitude towards technology and transportation that contributes to making Chelan and Douglas Counties great. I could not be more proud.”
The electric buses are to be built by Southern California bus manufacturer, and global electric vehicle powerhouse BYD Motors. The BYD K9S is a 35 foot derivative of the BYD K9 40 foot bus which is the most popular electric bus platform on earth, with more than 6,000 now running in revenue service in cities from Los Angeles, to London and Hong Kong. “Our decision to go electric extends far beyond cleaner air and doing the right thing,” continued DeRock. “These buses are whisper-quiet, and will drastically reduce noise pollution along their daily routes. Additionally, they will save our transit agency hundreds of thousands of dollars in fuel and maintenance costs and enable us to begin other upgrades to our system even sooner.” When asked about BYD’s first Washington state order, BYD Coach & Bus Vice President Macy Neshati commented, “I am so incredibly excited to be working with Link Transit and Chelan and Douglas Counties. They are a first-class transit agency, and have been leading the way on revolutionary technology for years now.”
BYD’s Battery Electric bus employs many advanced technologies developed in-house by a staff of more than 15,000 R&D engineers and includes the BYD Iron-Phosphate battery which boasts the only 12-year-battery warranty in the industry. Combined with BYD’s proprietary in-wheel hub motors and regenerative braking system, the BYD battery electric bus offers the lowest life cycle cost of ownership. The BYD electric bus delivers a host of operational and environmental benefits for public transit riders, bus operators and residents of the community – it is very quiet and ensures a comfortable ride without vibrations, jerks or the noise associated with the conventional buses and combustion engines. The bus can also drive for more than 155 miles, even in heavy city traffic, on a single charge. As of March 1st, 2016, BYD bus fleets have completed greater than 100 million miles “in revenue service” and have been evaluated by more than 150 cities in 36 countries around the world. To date, BYD has built over 7,000 electric buses globally, making it by far the most popular electric transit vehicle on the planet.
ABOUT LINK Transit:
December 16, 1991 marked the first day of full fixed route operation. Link Transit grew very rapidly and by 1996 it was operating 27 routes with 55 vehicles, and the System was enjoying 1.3 million passenger boardings per year. Over the past ten years Link Transit has built its services by focusing on efficiencies and fiscal management; utilizing its sales tax and fare revenues as well as grant funding opportunities. With care and continued focus on providing a dependable, safe, and friendly service ridership has steadily grown and increased over the years. In 2015 Link Transit carries about 3,660 people per day or approximately 1-million passengers per year.
ABOUT BYD Motors Inc.:
BYD Motors Inc. is an American manufacturing company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of BYD Company Ltd, the largest domestic auto-manufacturer and electric-bus manufacturer in China. BYD is a publicly traded company, with the Hong Kong listed stock 60% of which is owned by U.S. investors, and Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway as the largest single shareholder at 9.9%. BYD Motors established its headquarters in downtown Los Angeles in October 2011 and has now hired over 200 Americans to primarily support BYD’s US electric vehicle business.
