China's BYD wins more bids to supply electric vehicles to US

LOS ANGELES - Chinese electric automaker BYD has won the bids to supply vehicles to the US state of Georgia and Atlanta city, the company said in a statement released on Monday.

BYD said it will supply Georgia's statewide contracts for public mass transit and transportation vehicles, specifically for battery-electric buses.

"BYD is excited to be working with customers in Georgia and we look forward to growing our presence in the state and improving the air quality for Georgians," said Bobby Hill, vice-president of North America for BYD Coach and Bus.

In addition, the company also won the bid to become one of the suppliers for the city of Atlanta's electric vehicles, which includes electric heavy-duty trucks, taxi fleet vehicles, and buses.

"BYD's medium and heavy duty all-electric vehicles will help Atlanta achieve its goal of reducing greenhouse gases by 20 percent from 2009 levels by 2020 and by 40 percent by 2030," the statement said.

BYD is the world's largest electric vehicle manufacturer, as well as the largest electric bus maker in North America.

With deliveries of battery-powered electric-buses to more than 40 US clients, including Facebook, Stanford University, University of California Los Angeles and Long Beach Transit, BYD announced last month its joint venture with Generate Capital Inc, a leading US-based financier, owner, and operator of distributed infrastructure, to launch the first electric bus-leasing program of its kind in the United States.