BYD UK and Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL) jointly announced that their electric vehicle partnership has handed over its 500th electric bus.
BYD Secured Order for Another 500 BYD ADL Electric Buses
The zero emission double decker has joined the fleet of the partnership’s launch customer, Go-Ahead London, as orders for the next 500 BYD ADL electric buses have already been confirmed for public transport operators across the UK.
BYD is a global leader in batteries, energy management and electric mobility, while ADL is a subsidiary of leading independent global bus manufacturer NFI Group Inc. (NFI).
BYD and ADL combine their strengths to offer reliable and cost-effective electric buses for operators in the United Kingdom, Ireland and New Zealand. Having entered a partnership agreement in October 2015, the partnership delivered its first buses the following summer. Its electric buses for the UK and Ireland are built in Britain, ensuring that investment in cleaner transport benefits communities across the country, as well as the environment.
Less than five years after rolling out the first, the partnership has now delivered the 500th BYD ADL electric bus. This BYD ADL Enviro400EV double decker is one of 20 that have joined the Go-Ahead London fleet for Transport for London route 69 between Walthamstow and Canning Town.
Go-Ahead London has worked closely with the BYD ADL partnership since its inception, becoming its launch customer in 2016 and continuing to support product development with its operational experience. The very first BYD ADL electric bus – a BYD ADL Enviro200EV single decker – joined the handover of the 500th as the manufacturers paid tribute to Go-Ahead London’s crucial role in the deployment of electric buses in the UK. This has made Go-Ahead the country’s biggest operator of electric buses, including nearly half of the 500 BYD ADL electric buses delivered so far.
Frank Thorpe, Managing Director of BYD UK, said: “We were delighted in 2015 when Go-Ahead London embarked upon their journey towards electrification with us, and we’re even more thrilled today as we celebrate the handover of the 500th BYD ADL electric bus. It’s a very significant milestone, and not only for the BYD ADL partnership. It demonstrates clearly the commitment of the nation’s capital to decarbonisation, with eMobility playing an increasingly fundamental role in delivering a cleaner transportsystem for millions of people. Operators like Go-Ahead London, with the BYD ADL partnership in support, really are leading the charge.”
As the transition to zero emission transport continues to accelerate, the BYD ADL partnership has already taken firm orders for the next 500 electric buses, expected to be delivered over the next twelve months and taking the partnership’s total to over 1000.