This might not be the collaboration everyone’s been waiting for, but it could be the one everyone will benefit from. BYD finally switches to hydrogen and collaborates with a 20-year industry leader to manufacture a bus that will give Tesla a run for its money. This bus is the first of its kind and can soon be seen at one of the busiest airports in the United States, with more than 21 million passengers annually. We hope we managed to pique your curiosity.
BYD finally switches to hydrogen for the first-of-its-kind bus
BYD is the biggest electric bus supplier in North America and the biggest EV company in the world. Now, BYD has collaborated with the US Hybrid Corporation to manufacture a first-of-its-kind bus.
“We are ecstatic to partner with US Hybrid. Together, we can bring innovative ideas to the state of Hawaii and deliver clean, renewable transportation solutions.” – Macy Neshati, Senior Vice President of BYD Heavy Industries.
Hawaii’s Clean Energy Initiative (HCEI) is ecstatic about the new hydrogen fuel cell battery-electric bus currently under development. The new hydrogen fuel cell battery-electric bus will meet their sustainable energy targets of lowering Hawaii’s dependency on imported oil and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions. The state’s primary goal is to be powered 100% by renewable energy by 2045.
Robert’s Hawaii will be the bus operator, transporting passengers between Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport and the car rental facility. The bus will use BYD’s battery-electric platform, combining hydrogen fuel cell technology to eliminate operational dependency on charging.
“With the state aggressively pursuing clean power, we have an ideal backdrop to showcase the most efficient zero emission technology in the industry. The fusion of US Hybrid’s fuel cell technology and BYD’s electric bus platform will shape the future of Hawaii and ultimately, change the world,” Dr. Abas Goodarzi, Ph.D., P.E., US Hybrid founder.
More good news for BYD’s business
According to CleanTechnica, the Flemish transport company De Lijn had approved an order for 92 standard (12-meter-long) electric buses from BYD Europe. BYD is surely popping the champagne, as the order constitutes more than 43 million euros in investment. The objective of the order is to achieve De Lijn’s goals of offering completely emissions-free public transport by 2035.
It has been declared that De Lijn could increase its order from BYD to 500 electric buses after evaluating and assessing the vehicles compared with vehicles from other suppliers.
“This order for the next series of electric buses is excellent news for travelers and the achievement of our climate goals. [It is] an investment of more than 43 million euros in the further greening of the bus fleet. This means that diesel buses from a previous generation can be replaced by emissions free vehicles.” – Lydia Peeters, the Flemish minister of mobility and public works.
The future of buses is electric
Before we make the following statement, please do not shoot the messenger! Even though the diesel engine has been a trustworthy and eager workhorse for nearly a century, it results in many airborne waste material that passes out of the tailpipe and into the atmosphere. Per CleanTechnica, “The real key to cleaning up emissions from the transportation sector is replacing the diesel engine.”
Diesel-powered trucks and buses are in use for 8 to 12 hours at a time, and have high pollution levels. An electric cement mixer may not intrigue many people, but from a climate point of view, electrifying one is a gigantic win for the Earth, much bigger than a $2 million electric supercar that will get driven less than 100 miles a year.
The future is electric, and while some might miss the majestic roar of the diesel engine, environmentalists and companies such as BYD are jumping with joy, advocating a better, greener future for us!