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On June 16, a grand ceremony was held to mark the official operation of Qingdao BYD New Energy Commercial Vehicle Production Base. At the same time, the first batch of BYD K9 electric buses were officially delivered to Qingdao Transport & Transportation Group. Officials from Qingdao Municipal Government, leaders from BYD and Qingdao bus operators, as well as journalists from various media attended the ceremony.
Located at No.9 Hongxiang Yilu, Chengyang District, Qingdao BYD New Energy Vehicle Production Base started construction in May 2015. With a total investment of three billion RMB, the base covers an area of 1,000 mu. The first construction phase of the base has completed the welding, chassis, assembly workshops, enabling the base to roll out 1,000 units electric buses each year. After the completion of the second and third phase, Qingdao BYD New Energy Vehicle Production Base is capable of producing 5,000 electric buses each year.
BYD K9 is the world’s first low-floor access electric bus. Measuring 12 meters in length, the vehicle has 42 seats and boasts a continuous driving ability of 350 km. Equipped with the internationally competitive wheel rim driving technology, electrically controlled air suspension system, intelligence key system, and one-button start-up system, K9 is set to provide zero-emission and pollution-free travel experience for local citizens in Qingdao.
Since 2010, BYD electric vehicles have made their way to a number of cities across China, including Shenzhen, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Wuhan, Dalian, Xi’an, and Changsha. Moreover, BYD electric vehicles have been put on trial operation in nearly 200 cities in 48 countries across the globe, including Kyoto, London, New York, Brussels, and Singapore
As the head office of BYD in Shandong, Qingdao BYD New Energy Vehicle Production Base is also company’s R&D Center and export base for electric buses. The operation of the base marks a big step forward for Qingdao’s new energy vehicle industry. It is set to further promote the application of environmentally friendly vehicles in Shandong.
As a coastal city with a solid industrial foundation and high economic development level, Qingdao promises a huge market potential for new energy vehicles. In January 2015, the city government launched 2014-2020 New Energy Development Planning program, aiming to take full advantage of BYD Vehicle Research & Development Platform and strengthen the city’s overall competitiveness in new energy vehicle industry.