China's electric bus-maker BYD hails Paris climate deal

BYD's founder and chairman Wang Chuanfu (2nd from right) said it has been absolutely imperative that the global leaders reached an agreement at UN climate talks in Paris. [Photo for China Daily]

China's leading e-auto producer BYD joined the global new energy stakeholders in welcoming a substantive landmark declaration which will limit global warming to less than 2 C and improve air quality after two weeks of United Nations climate negotiations in Paris.

As the world's largest manufacturer of electric buses, trucks, cars and energy storage systems, BYD's founder and chairman Wang Chuanfu said it had been absolutely imperative that the global leaders reached an agreement at COP21.

"Our message, as the private sector, is that we have been working hard for decades now and finally have technologies that can now substitute fully for their fossil fuel competition," said Wang after the Paris deal was reached.

In Paris BYD produced figures showing that the daily exhaust emissions from one bus are equivalent to 30-40 private cars and that of one taxi is equivalent to 10 private cars. Consequently, although public transport vehicles account for less than 2 percent of all motor vehicles, they produce one third of total tail pipe emissions.

So BYD's 'Urban electrified public transportation total solution' is the fastest and most efficient way to cut these gases.

BYD is testing five electric double-decker buses in London which are powered by two battery packs, and is designed to operate for a whole day on a single charge. Recharging takes four hours. London has over 9,000 double-decker buses carrying an average of 6.5 million passengers a day.

BYD Europe's Managing Director Isbrand Ho made clear that in BYD's view all vehicles in cities would ultimately be electrified.

Also attending COP21 were the environmentally focused NGOs and charities and one of the leading organizations in Paris was C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40), an organization of Mayors collaborating to fight climate change founded in 2005 by former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

"When we were in office in New York, we were shameless in stealing other cities' great ideas, this is the only way we can get ahead in this war on climate change", said Bloomberg.

This year BYD partnered with Bloomberg Philanthropies to host C40's premier event, the City Leadership Awards, where the C40 compete on green initiatives they implemented over the past calendar year.

"C40 is the ultimate platform for the implementation of green initiatives", said BYD Motors President & CEO Stella Li.