Greentech Lead America: Electric vehicle and green technology company BYD has opened two BYD manufacturing facilities — an electric bus manufacturing facility and an Iron-Phosphate energy module (large-scale battery) manufacturing facility — in Lancaster.
The facilities will start operations in the coming months, the company said.
The development marks the first manufacturing facilities in the United States for BYD Motors, a Los Angeles-based subsidiary of the Chinese firm BYD Company.
The opening of two manufacturing facilities will provide local workers with hundreds of jobs as BYD expands its operations in the United States. It also represents significant investment into the local economy, said City of Lancaster mayor R. Rex Parris.
China-based BYD currently has more than 160,000 employees around the world, with operations in China, the US, Europe, Japan, South Korea, India, Taiwan, Hong Kong and other regions.
BYD’s relationship with the City of Lancaster dates back to 2009. In 2010, the City, under the leadership of Mayor Parris partnered with BYD and homebuilding giant KB Home to create the “Home of the Future,” which utilized BYD solar panels, BYD LED lighting, energy-efficient technologies, and BYD residential energy storage to create an affordable green energy home.
“This innovative use of cutting-edge technology, coupled with the ability of the BYD/KB team to think outside the box to create the most affordable production green energy home our country had ever seen, was truly inspiring,” said Parris. “This cemented the concept in my mind that BYD must be part of Lancaster’s future.”
In April, BYD was awarded a $12.1 million contract with Long Beach Transit Authority to produce 10 zero-emissions, all-electric buses.
BYD’s Los Angeles Headquarters will continue to expand research and development jobs to support these manufacturing facilities as well as sales and HR support for all of North and South America, said Stella Li, president of BYD Motors.
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