More travelers will be able to experience electric buses
Brussels Airport Company (BAC), operator of Zaventem Airport, in Brussels, Belgium is introducing the first BYD electric buses in its fleet.
The Chinese manufacturer received from BAC an order for a total of 30 12m buses and 30 depot chargers, which will be used under a 10-year service support contract.
For BYD, it’s the second electric bus order from an airport in Europe, after the Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. Globally, Brussels joins Sydney, Australia, Kansas and Los Angeles, in the US, and Shenzhen, China.
“BYD supplied 30 of its own-designed charging units to enable the ebuses to be charged overnight in the terminal. They are similar to the special charging depot in Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, where BYD has had a fleet of 35 of its ebuses running since June 2015. At the time, the BYD 12m buses were the first pure electric buses to provide transportation airside at a major world airport.”
Arnaud Feist, CEO of Brussels Airport Company:
“The electric bus project fits in with Brussels Airport’s ambition to drive down its carbon dioxide emissions by 40% by 2030 (compared to 2010). For each equipment purchase decision, we seek out ecological solutions which at the same time offer increased comfort for our passengers. In addition to the fact that the new e-buses are silent and do not emit particulate matter or carbon dioxide, they also provide state-of art connectivity with free Wi-Fi and USB ports. With the arrival of these new buses, we are further improving our passenger service.”
Isbrand Ho, Managing Director at BYD Europe:
“Airport operators all over the world face immense pressure to reduce their carbon footprints. Within current technology little can be done about the emissions from the aircraft but now a serious impact can be made on the noxious outputs from ground service vehicles. In Europe, we have proved it in Schiphol and we believe that the experience there, and here in Zaventem, is a signpost for other major airports in Europe and further afield. BYD was chosen after a competitive European tender process. We are truly delighted to have succeeded in Brussels, de facto capital of the European Union. BYD is without doubt the global leader in full size pure electric bus design, production and sales with over 50,000 ebuses having been produced. We are looking forward to serving more and more international passengers with our environmental friendly vehicles.”
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