Electric vehicle manufacturer BYD says it has delivered three additional battery-electric buses to Columbia, Mo., bringing the city’s total to nine.
According to BYD, this is the first and only battery-electric fleet in revenue service in Missouri and one of the largest in the Midwest.
“Columbia is home to over 2 million annual transit rides between the city and the University of Missouri, and we’ve been happy to hear that these riders love the quiet, eco-friendly experience they’re getting on these BYD buses,” says Macy Neshati, senior vice president of BYD Heavy Industries. “I want to congratulate Columbia and its citizens on having the foresight to bring this technology to Missouri.”
Drew Brooks, transit and parking manager for the city of Columbia, adds, “This is a technology that just makes sense – saving us money in the long term while cleaning the air and providing a positive experience for our customers. We’re proud to have the only battery-electric transit fleet in revenue service in Missouri here in Columbia.”
As reported, the fleet includes six 40-foot BYD K9 buses and three 30-foot BYD K7 buses. The K9 has a range of 161 miles per charge, while the K7 has a range of 144 miles per charge.