BYD, an electric vehicle manufacturer, says it is participating in a statewide contract that will allow U.S. transit agencies to leverage California’s purchase power to buy U.S.-built zero-emission BYD battery-electric motor coaches, made by union employees in Lancaster, Calif.
The state selected three models for the contract, which is administered by the California Department of General Services (DGS). They are the K10M 45-foot low-floor coach, the C9M 40-foot high-floor coach and the C10M 45-foot high-floor coach.
Created to aid California transit agencies meet zero-emission vehicle mandates, the statewide contract will also be available to governmental entities outside of California.
“This is a big win for transit agencies and operators throughout the U.S.,” says Patrick Duan, vice president of BYD North America. “By leveraging California’s purchasing contract, transit agencies benefit from the convenience of an existing contract and competitive pricing.”
The statewide purchasing contract was created to assist transit agencies in meeting the California Air Resources Board’s Innovative Clean Transit regulation, which requires that all public transit agencies transition to zero-emission buses, with all new bus purchases to be zero-emission by 2029 and the goal of complete fleet transition by 2040. There are over 200 public transit agencies in California operating more than 14,000 transit buses.
Photo: BYD’s News Center web page