LANCASTER, Calif. — BYD and the Antelope Valley Schools Transportation Agency (AVSTA) announced Monday a plan to bring 20 battery electric school buses to students in the Antelope Valley.
The buses will be built in Lancaster, California at the BYD Coach & Bus facility by members of the SMART Union.
“It’s great to see our community take advantage of funding that’s out there for electric school buses,” BYD Senior Vice President Patrick Duan said. “This agreement puts the community on the road to being the nation’s first region with fully electric transit and school buses. We are proud of our close partnerships here.”
AVSTA CEO Morris Fuselier III expressed excitement about the announcement and noted it would be just the first step on a journey to brijng clean transportation to the students of the region.
“All of us here at AVSTA are very excited about our partnership with BYD,” Fuselier said. “We here in the Antelope Valley are concerned about not only the health of our environment, but we are also focused on the health and wellbeing of our students, the future of our valley and our country. This is the beginning of our effort to build the largest electric school bus fleet in the state that will provide clean, efficient transportation to our students while protecting the clean, fresh air and blue skies of our home, the Antelope Valley. With partners like BYD and the support of the City of Lancaster, we will certainly succeed in insuring a brighter, cleaner future.”
The plan to bring battery electric school buses to the students oft he Antelope Valley was also hailed by local leaders including Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris, who noted that AVSTA is on a path to become the first school transportation provider in California to operate a complete fleet of zero emission school buses.
“Just a few short years ago we were told this was not possible, ” Parris said. “But, we found a way to work together to make this golden opportunity a reality for the Antelope Valley and our schools. We want to create a template for the world to follow: If you do this, our grandchildren will survive global climate change. When that bus takes off after dropping them off, they won’t be breathing that exhaust, which is nothing but poison.“
BYD School buses are eligible for federal and state purchase incentives offered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the California Air Resources Board (CARB). Those interested in the opportunities are encouraged to reach out to BYD.SchoolBus@byd.com
When it comes to zero-emission transportation, BYD brings innovation and cutting-edge technologies to forward-thinking communities and private enterprises. The only pure electric vehicle manufacturer in the U.S. to have an all-union workforce and a pioneering Community Benefits Agreement, BYD’s Lancaster, Calif., workforce includes a growing number of second-chance employees, single parents and veterans. BYD has sold more than 70,000 electric buses worldwide. It’s products can be found on streets from London to Indianapolis.
BYD, the Official Sponsor of Mother Nature, stands hand-in-hand with those across the U.S. interested in combating climate change.
