BYD and Bulmineral set up electric bus joint venture in Europe
14 December 2012
China-based BYD and Bulgaria-based Bulmineral Ltd signed an agreement to create a 50:50 joint venture company, named Auto Group Motors, to produce electric buses in Europe. This is the first electric bus joint venture in Europe and the first overseas electric vehicle joint venture for BYD.
BYD, the world’s largest electric bus manufacturer, will work together with Bulmineral Ltd, to manufacture pure electric buses in Breznik, Bulgaria. BYD says that this will enable BYD to break into local markets in Bulgaria and expand to other countries in Europe.
The 12-meter BYD electric bus is able to run 250 km (155 miles) on a single charge in urban conditions. This allows a travelling range that is sufficient for one whole shift in most cities. The core technology of BYD electric buses is BYD’s self-developed lithium iron-phosphate battery technology. The accumulated mileage of BYD electric buses in Shenzhen, China alone has surpassed 11.81 million kilometers (or 7.33 million miles) by the end of November 2012.
We are really starting to build a head of steam in making battery/fuel cell/inductive charging buses.
I don't really care which we use, providing we knock diesel on the head.
Posted by: Davemart | 14 December 2012 at 04:57 AM
BYD is gaining sales. So are http://www.proterra.com/index.php/products electric buses.
Posted by: kelly | 14 December 2012 at 06:53 AM
This is a good idea for EU. Components (including batteries?) could be made in China (at lower cost) and final assembly in EU for the local market?
A similar arrangement would also work well for USA/Canada?
Our dirty smoking noisy Diesel city buses have to be replaced too?
Posted by: HarveyD | 14 December 2012 at 07:59 AM
The GE fuel cell hybrid also uses a Proterra base.
More here in the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDcEVhClCVM&feature=youtu.be
Proterra seems to have all the bases covered with various battery chemistries, charging on the go when using Altairnano batteries which can handle it, and now fuel cells.
IMO it is one of those times of flux, just like when the first cars were hitting the road.
Exciting times indeed.
Posted by: Davemart | 14 December 2012 at 08:39 AM
*** This is a good idea for EU. Components (including batteries?) could be made in China (at lower cost)
and final assembly in EU for the local market?
You could not find any better low cost and low tax country for production than Bulgaria in EU for now ...
Posted by: Yordan Georgiev | 19 December 2012 at 12:06 PM