BYD India to supply e-vans to Eto Motors + big bus deals

BYD has received a major order from India. Eto Motors, an electric fleet operator, is initially ordering 50 units of the T3 BYD transporter. But this is just the beginning – Eto has further plans for other BYD vehicles over the next year.

To stay within India first: By the end of 2020, Eto Motors wants to procure around 4,000 three- and four-wheeled electric vehicles produced by BYD for use in 20 cities over the next year. The 50 units of the four-wheeled electric van T3 will start off the expansion. BYD will be responsible for the battery, motor, motor controllers & powertrains. ETO will provide the chassis and suspension components. In terms of technical data, both the three- and four-wheeled versions take 1.5 hours to get fully charged using DC charging equipment. Both also support standard AC chargers. Once charged, both models can travel up to 300km.

The T3 electric van has recently launched in India and belongs to a range of new commercial electric vehicles. BYD also introduced the three EVs in Europe earlier this year after they had been made available in China.

The first trucks available to European customers are the T6 (7.5T GVW) light truck, and a truck designed for airports, ports and distribution centres: the Q1M Yard Tractor (46T GCWR). Including the BYD T3 electric van, these are the first vehicles from a full range of electric light and heavy commercial vehicles that BYD plans to release across Europe in the coming years.

However, the Chinese EV giant has been busy selling electric buses as well. The latest order sees BYD deliver 379 electric buses to Bogotá. The entire BYD fleet in the Colombian capital is scheduled to go into operation in September 2020. Together with the 64 electric buses in Medellín, Colombia will then have a total of 443 electric buses from BYD.

This news comes on the back of an order from Los Angeles just a few days ago. BYD is reportedly going to supply 130 electric buses as part of the city’s new green deal.

autocarpro.in, businessworld.in (both India), byd.com (Bogotá)