BYD (Build Your Dreams) congratulates the Antelope Valley Transit Authority on achieving North America’s first fully zero-emission fleet and is proud to be a partner in the agency’s success.
Fully 57 of AVTA’s 87 battery-electric coaches and buses were built by BYD at its Lancaster Coach & Bus Manufacturing facility. Many BYD employees and their families are served by the agency in the Antelope Valley.
“This is an important and wonderful accomplishment,” said Stella Li, President BYD Americas. “We’re proud to have worked closely with AVTA to make this happen and know it’s the beginning of great things for all Californians.”
Portions of the fleet were purchased with the help of state funding, including $28.5 million from the Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) administered by Caltrans and the California State Transportation Agency.
Every American-built, zero-emission BYD bus eliminates approximately 1,690 tons of CO2 over its 12-year lifespan, according to the U.S. Transportation Department. This is equivalent to taking 27 cars off the road. Each bus also eliminates 10 tons of nitrogen oxides and 350 pounds of diesel particulate matter, improving air quality in the communities that they serve.
BYD is America’s first battery-electric bus manufacturer that has both a unionized workforce and a Community Benefits Agreement, which sets goals for hiring veterans, single parents, second-chance citizens, and others facing hurdles in obtaining manufacturing employment.
