Chinese firm makes electric buses at California facility

BYD Company Ltd, a Chinese manufacturer of electric buses, demonstrated its zero-emissions electric bus with a test ride from Los Angles to its factory in Lancaster, California on Tuesday.

On the test ride was Liu Jian, consul general of China's Consulate General office in Los Angeles. He was accompanied by Stella Li, president of BYD. The one and a half hour ride from downtown Los Angeles to Lancaster, a city in northern Los Angeles County, covers about 75 miles.

The ride was described as quiet and comfortable by Liu.

A long drive on a zero-emissions bus reduces air pollution as well as saving hundreds of dollars in fuel costs compared with a regular diesel bus, according to a BYD marketing representative.

R. Rex Parris, the mayor of Lancaster, and other government officials welcomed the bus in Lancaster.

Parris said that BYD has become a star in his city. "We are proud of producing this green bus in the city of Lancaster. We appreciate BYD for bringing this employment opportunity to the people of Lancaster," said Parris.

In the factory, Liu chatted with the American workers, welcoming them to BYD. Liu said he respects BYD's contribution to environmental protection and he encouraged similar efforts. "We are proud that Chinese enterprises like BYD succeed overseas."

BYD has already received orders from a few companies for its electric buses including the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority, said Li.

BYD's head office in the US was established in Lancaster in 2011. The BYD factory was built in 2013 to manufacture the bus.

In May, BYD's California-built electric bus passed the Altoona test from the Altoona Bus Research and Testing Center under the Larson Institute and sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration.

The next BYD bus to be tested under Altoona will be the 60-foot BYD All-Electric bus.

cindyliu@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily USA 07/30/2014 page3)