The Antelope Valley Times

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AVTA contracts with BYD for 85 electric buses

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The announcement was made during a special event that followed the Feb. 11 meeting at the AVTA facility and was attended by elected officials, dignitaries and community leaders. [Photo courtesy AVTA]
The announcement was made during a special event that followed the Feb. 11 meeting
at the AVTA facility and was attended by elected officials, dignitaries and community leaders. [Photo courtesy AVTA]
LANCASTER – During a special meeting on Thursday, Feb. 11, the Antelope Valley Transit Authority’s board of directors voted to award BYD a contract to manufacture up to 85 electric buses over a five year period.

BYD Motors will build the buses for AVTA at its manufacturing facility in Lancaster, AVTA officials said in a news release.

“I’m pleased to chair a transit agency as forward thinking as AVTA that also has the political will to do something no other transit agency in the country has done yet – go all electric,” stated Marvin Crist, chairman of the AVTA board of directors. “There are multiple benefits to electrifying our bus fleet, from creating jobs and eliminating harmful air pollutants, to reducing dependence on foreign oil. These benefits will be seen at the local, regional, state, and national levels. It’s really a win-win.”

Under the order from AVTA, BYD Motors will build and deliver a variety of all-electric bus models, including a 40 foot low floor transit bus, a 60 foot low floor articulated bus, and a 45 foot commuter coach.

All 85 buses will have a range of more than 160 miles on a single battery charge. AVTA is also installing a wireless charging system to extend the fleet’s range to ensure the electric buses will be able to serve the agency’s longest rural routes.

“BYD Coach and Bus is proud to partner with AVTA on its groundbreaking decision to completely electrify its fleet,” stated Stella Li, president of BYD Motors. “With more than 6,000 electric buses deployed worldwide and 90 million miles of dependable service already accumulated, we know that our technology will help AVTA save money and improve local air quality.”

The agency expects to take delivery of 29 electric buses within the next 12 months and is working to secure additional grant funding from the Air Resources Board to purchase another 17 buses, AVTA officials said in the news release.

BYD Motors will build an all electric 40 ft. low floor transit bus, a 60 ft. low floor articulated bus, and a 45 ft. commuter coach bus for the AVTA.
BYD Motors will build an all electric 40 ft. low floor transit bus, a 60 ft. low floor articulated bus, and a 45 ft. commuter coach bus for the AVTA.

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15 comments for "AVTA contracts with BYD for 85 electric buses"

  1. All of the go green sounds great; will more routes be added? Because the public transportation is horrible out here in the AV.
    AVTA should work on improving public transportation, such as more routes & have buses run more often.
    That would be another way, we can reduce harmful air pollutants by taking public transportation instead of driving.

    • More routes? Chairman Marve, who is Rexies puppet, supposedly wants to get rid of the route from 60th West and I to Lancaster park. Wonder why? That’s where the homeless shelter is. They want to move the homeless from the BLVD to the West Side. Those two must really hate the West Side. First they voted to put in a Super Wal-Mart Center in the middle of residential property across from the high school, and now this. We knew they scorned the East Side. That’s pretty obvious for the lack of anything except crime and empty stores over there. It seems like all they care about is the area around the BLVD where Rexies has his business office and Chairman Marve resides.

      We keep voting for these clowns and expect things to change.

    • They sure are going “green”. Millions of taxpayer dollars to subsidize a foreign owned company. We could buy more hybrid busses from American owned companies and have a larger positive impact on the environment. You have to wonder how much Rex and Marve got out of this.

      • Isn’t BYD the company in all that hot water for paying low wages and doing stupid things like Safety Bingo? This is exactly where unions have their place by protecting the worker against abuses.

        • You have to wonder why the unions are afraid to take on BYD unless they have already cut a deal.Seems in Palmdale the bully Union queen is too busy trying to get her fellow board member arrested for probation violation so she must be too occupied.This cannot be made up so stay tuned.

          • The union is led by Kathy “Job Killer” McLauren who personally led the effort to KILL more than 300 UNION construction jobs at Kinkisharyo.

            Keep your eye on Kathy “Job Killer” McLauren and her ilk this fall.

    • If these BYD busses are so great, tell me why Metro is dumping five of them and selling them to AVTA? They’re practically brand new. How is the AVTA even going to charge them when they only have two chargers?

      What is going on, Chairman Marve?

      • I’m glad you brought this up Magic Mike. Metro is getting rid of them because they’re too costly to maintain. I warned the Chair many times about putting all the eggs in one basket. What’s going to happen if there’s an emergency and those buses cannot be charged?

        • Wow. A voice of reason amongst a sea of incompetency. We taxpayers appreciate you telling them the obvious. Maybe they will listen.

          Doesn’t anyone wonder why Metro is dumping these buses as fast as they can? Meanwhile, Marve and Rexie go full steam ahead on an all electric fleet that is untested and very expensive.

          • I heard those used buses that Metro is unloading are not even made in Lancaster; they’re made in Communist China. Chairman Marv is trying to bail out BYD, buying used buses another agency doesn’t want.

          • There is a story here. The paper won’t touch it because it will make Rex look bad. Maybe the AV Times or the LA Times?