BYD Makes Inroads in Macao’s Pillar Tourism Industry with Pure Electric Coaches

BYD has announced an agreement to provide 20 pure electric coaches to two Macao tourism enterprises, less than a year after the vehicle’s debut on the island. Under the deal BYD will service Chong Ou Direct Bus Services Limited with 10.6 meter C8 pure electric coaches while providing Galaxy Entertainment Group (Macao) with the same kind.

Both partnerships were signed on the same day BYD introduced its fleet of pure electric vehicles for public, private and industrial use. Around 100 people were present at the event that showcased the company’s comprehensive range of cars, monorail, tour coaches and logistic vehicles. The attendees included the General Manager of BYD Asia Pacific Auto Sales Division Liu Xueliang, senior executives from local hotels, tour agencies and transportation operators, as well as other industry and government representatives.

“Macao is in a good position to implement a pure electric transportation system and we are honored that Macao has chosen to partner with BYD to make this a reality,” said Liu Xueliang. “We look forward to introducing our entire range of pure electric vehicles to Macao to turn the island city into a model of environmentally friendly tourism.”

Powered by its proprietary iron phosphate battery, the BYD pure electric coach can travel more than 250 kilometers while only requiring a recharge time of four hours. The planned roll out of electric buses, coaches and other types of transport in Macao is aimed at addressing noise and vehicle carbon emissions in a tiny city that experienced a 73 percent increase in the number of motor vehicles between 1999 and 2010.

According to figures by the Macao Special Administrative Region government, electric buses produce 56 percent less carbon dioxide and 60 percent less nitrogen oxide for every hundred kilometers traveled, compared to diesel buses.

BYD has made significant inroads in the local market since the successful trial of its pure electric bus in 2013. A year later the Shenzhen based company delivered its first passenger vehicle to a customer on the island. Last November BYD chalked another notch in its history by signing the first pure electric coach order in Macao at the China (Macao) International Automobile Exposition. The company has also received numerous requests to trial its 11 ton pure electric delivery truck in Macao since launching the vehicle in May.

BYD has a considerable presence in more than 20 Asia-Pacific countries and regions, including Japan, Singapore, India, South Korea, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand.