Chinese EV maker BYD announced that it has exclusively won cumulative orders to supply 1,002-unit pure-electric buses to the capital of Colombia, Bogotá.
This is the largest order for pure-electric buses outside of China to date, which sets a new record in sales volume for the overseas pure-electric bus industry.
Bogotá City Public Transport Authority (TRANSMILENIO S.A.) launched a public commercial tender covering diesel, CNG and electric technologies for 1,295 buses in August. Three of BYD’s global strategic partners finally adopted BYD’s integrated electric bus solutions for their bids and successfully won the tender, totally 1,002 pure electric buses. BYD will partner with local bus manufacturers Superpolo and BUSSCAR respectively on the bus body parts.
This batch of buses is scheduled to be delivered during 2021 and into the first half of 2022, and will be put into operation on 34 bus routes across five regions of the capital, providing residents along the routes with quiet, safe and emissions-free travel services.
In this competition covering all bus technologies, BYD, relying on its strong capability with core strengths, has won exclusive orders for 1,002 pure electric buses, fully demonstrating the market’s high recognition and trust in BYD’s technology, products and services. So far, BYD has won 1,472 orders for pure electric buses in the Colombian capital. According to TRANSMILENIO S.A., these buses will reduce 83,433 tons of carbon dioxide and 9.63 tons of particle emissions per year compared to diesel buses meeting fifth-generation European emission standards over the 15-year concession period, which will greatly improve local air quality and enhance Colombia’s overall ability to cope with climate change.
In addition to Bogotá, Colombia’s capital city, BYD buses operate in Medellin, Cali and elsewhere. At present, BYD has accumulated 1,550 orders for pure electric buses in Colombia, continuously leading the push for bus electrification in Colombia and Latin America.
“This more than 1,000 buses order marks a fresh start, which will effectively promote the rapid development of green transportation in Latin America and the coming era of global bus electrification,” said Stella Li, President BYD Motors. “In the move towards electrification globally, BYD will continue to make great contributions moving forward.”
“Assembling the bus body parts in Colombia will not only help boost the national economy by creating skilled jobs for the local community, but also improve the quality of transportation services, cut carbon emissions, and improve the environment,” said Maria Fernanda Ortiz, head of the TRANSMILENIO S.A.
“As the world’s leading new energy vehicle manufacturer, BYD has overcome many difficulties resulting from the pandemic, exclusively winning this tender because of our all-round capability”, said Lara Zhang, the Regional Director of BYD Latin America. “We are extremely grateful for the trust and recognition of all our strategic clients, and we are also looking forward to working with Superpolo and BUSSCAR on this exciting project.”
Since BYD entered the Colombian market in 2012 it has made several breakthroughs, including establishing Latin America’s first pure electric taxi fleet in Bogotá in 2013, and up to date winning this 1,002-unit pure-electric bus order. BYD has a market share of over 96.5% in the Colombian electric bus market, and more impressively 99% in Bogota, the capital.
At present, the increasingly strict emission standards of various countries around the globe have undoubtedly promoted policies for greener, cleaner transport. According to a report from Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) in 2019, Colombia aims to have a “domestic new energy vehicle population of 600,000 vehicles by 2030.” As the world’s first new energy company to propose the “Electrified Public Transportation” strategy, BYD has become a key player in the wave of transportation electrification sweeping across Latin America. In Chile, as in Colombia, BYD has become the supplier leader for local green transportation: by the end of 2020, the brand had delivered 455 pure electric buses to Santiago, the capital of Chile, with a market share of about 56%.
Today, BYD’s new energy product footprint has spread across major Latin American markets including Chile, Colombia, Brazil, Barbados, Panama, Costa Rica, Uruguay and Argentina, and is winning market acclaim for its remarkable environmental benefits and reliable quality.
