VALLEJO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Solano County Transit (SolTrans) has made a historic decision to purchase two forty foot zero emission electric buses from the global electric vehicle leader BYD Coach & Bus. Delivery of their first two battery electric transit buses is expected in the summer of 2016. “This is a historic moment for Solano County,” said Mona Babauta, Executive Director of SolTrans. “This decision, supported by the SolTrans board of directors, is an excellent example of the forward-thinking attitude towards technology and transportation that contributes to making Solano County a great place to live.”
The electric buses are to be built by Southern California bus manufacturer BYD Coach & Bus, the US based manufacturing arm of global electric vehicle leader BYD Motors. The BYD K9 40 foot bus 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 includes taking positive steps towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions, reducing our dependence on petroleum, and cleaner air," continued Babauta. In addition “these buses are whisper-quiet, and will drastically reduce noise pollution along their daily routes.” BYD Coach & Bus Vice President Macy Neshati commented, “All of us at BYD Coach and Bus are thrilled to be working with Sol-Trans. They are a first-class transit agency and are taking a bold step in leading the way on zero emission technology.”
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 April 1st, 2015, 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 SolTrans: Solano County Transit (SolTrans) is the public transportation provider for the Cities of Benicia and Vallejo. SolTrans provides local fixed route bus, regional express bus, complementary paratransit, dial-a-ride service, and subsidized taxi programs. They deliver safe, reliable and efficient transportation services that link people, jobs, and our communities. The agency is a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) that is governed by a six-member Board of Directors. The Board is composed of two representatives from each member city, Solano County's representative on the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), and a representative from the Solano Transportation Authority.
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.
