Chinese auto manufacturer BYD to develop pilot project in Colombia
Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD revealed it has plans for Colombia with the implementation of its pilot project for assembling electric buses. The company, the world’s largest electric car manufacturer, is set to participate in the bidding for electric buses destined for us in the public transport system known as Transmilenio in the city of Bogotá. BYD will seek to assemble buses in the country in partnership with Hino, a Japanese manufacturer of commercial vehicles.
According to Lara Zhang, Regional Manager of BYD Colombia, this initiative represents a second phase of the project initiated with the company Super Polo, which has already produced over 1,500 units of bus bodies for electric buses in Colombia. “The country has already demonstrated talent for the production of bus bodies for electric buses, and now the project is to start assembling the vehicles completely,” Zhang stated.
The idea is for the vehicle parts to be manufactured in China and, in collaboration with Hino and Super Polo, the assembly and bodywork will be carried out in Colombia. This approach seeks to not only promote technology but also aims to foster the transferral of knowledge and encourage greater national participation in the production chain.
With a 92% share of the electric bus market in Colombia and over 1.500 buses already present in the Transmilenio fleet in Bogotá, BYD is betting on the new bidding for electric buses. This time, the proposal includes 12-meter bi-articulated buses intended to cover the routes of the new Transmilenio line currently under construction, extending to the municipality of Soacha.
This commitment to modernize public transportation aligns with the growth in electric vehicle sales in Colombia, which increased by 16% in April 2024 compared to the same month the previous year. Additionally, hybrid vehicle sales experienced a 104% increase in the same period, according to data from the Unique Tax Registry, Fenalco, and the National Business Association – ANDI.
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