LANCASTER, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, the Antelope Valley Transit Authority (AVTA) announced the purchase of two 40-foot, battery-electric buses as part of its clean bus initiative. The buses have been funded through a generous grant arranged by Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovich to support an electric bus demonstration project in the Antelope Valley. The $1.9 million grant came from Proposition A local return funds and will cover the cost of both buses plus the charging system. "The AVTA is grateful to the Supervisor for his leadership and we are ready to get started on this important initiative," stated AVTA Executive Director Julie Austin. "We look forward to this exciting partnership with BYD."
Chairman of the Board Norm Hickling added, "We see the value of modern, clean and efficient buses. The AVTA is a proponent of green technology and we look forward to being a leader in zero emission bus deployment."
About AVTA
AVTA serves a population of more than 450,000 residents in the cities of Lancaster and Palmdale as well as the unincorporated portions of northern Los Angeles County. Its total service area covers 1,200 square miles and it is bounded by the Kern County line to the north, the San Bernardino County line to the east, the Angeles National Forest to the south and Interstate 5 to the west.
About BYD
BYD Company Ltd. is one of China’s largest companies to have successfully expanded globally. Specializing in battery technologies, their green mission to “solve the whole problem” has made them industry pioneers and leaders in several High-tech sectors including High-efficiency Automobiles, Electrified Public Transportation, Environmentally-Friendly Energy Storage, Affordable Solar Power and Information Technology and Original Design Manufacturing (ODM) services.
As the world’s largest manufacturer of rechargeable batteries, their mission to create safer and more environmentally friendly battery technologies has lead to the development of the BYD Iron Phosphate (or "Fe") Battery. This fire-safe, completely recyclable and incredibly long-cycle technology has become the core of BYD’s clean energy platform that has expanded into automobiles, buses, trucks, utility vehicles and energy storage facilities.
The AVTA hopes to have BYD’s electric buses in service by April of 2014, in order to begin testing on local routes for a 12 month period to determine their performance in the high desert climate. Additional electric buses may be purchased in the future to replace aging diesel buses should the technology prove successful in the region.
A wireless inductive charging system is also set to be installed at Lancaster City Park and at the Palmdale Transportation System to support the electric bus demonstration project. "We have researched several electric bus charging systems and believe inductive technology, for our initial testing, provides AVTA the best option," stated Hickling. "We look forward to unveiling these state of the art buses and are pleased to be able to promote green technologies in the communities we serve."
BYD has made a strong entrance to the North, Central and South American markets with its electric buses, and lineup of automobiles. Its mission lies not just in sales growth, but also in social integration and local job creation. The BYD leadership has poured incredible investments into developing offices, dealerships, and manufacturing facilities in the local communities they now call home, truly a first for Chinese companies.
BYD recently located an electric bus manufacturing facility to Lancaster, a city within the AVTA service area. For more information on BYD please visit www.byd.com or www.facebook.com/bydcompany.
