Jump to content

BYD "E-Bus"


MaT

Recommended Posts

http://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/chinese-electric-bus-major-byd-to-make-in-india-for-home-market-exports-118021300774_1.html

BYD will start manufacturing out of India soon, both buses and batteries. The factory will have an initial capacity of 1000 units. 10 major cities, including Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad are going to bid on 390 E-Buses. BYD hopes to export buses to neighboring countries soon after the factory is operational. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Albuquerque Journal has an update regarding the unproven BYD 60 footers that were to be delivered to Albuquerque by last October:

(The below quotes are from the article by Maddy Hayden)

“We are left with little choice but to start exploring other options regarding the bus provider and the size and type of buses that will work best for Albuquerque riders on the new system,” Albuquerque Chief Operating Officer Lawrence Rael said in a news release.

 20 fully electric, 60-foot articulated buses worth nearly $23 million were originally to be delivered by Oct. 4 of last year.

That deadline was extended to Feb. 22.

“Here we sit, Feb. 23, and we’re still short buses,” he said in an interview.

BYD spokesman Joshua Hernandez said in a statement that the current delays are due to the company’s external supply chain.

Of the 16 buses received, the city has identified multiple problems, including panels that have cracked and axle hubs that are leaking.

Rael said a letter of liquidated damages was sent to BYD on Friday.

According to the contract, a $275-a-day fee would be assessed to BYD for each bus not delivered “in substantially good condition” by the stipulated deadline.

Rael said BYD owes $801,000 in damages.

“BYD continues to provide moving targets and has not addressed significant quality concerns,” Keller said in a statement. “We will formally put the company on notice about the lack of compliance and the potential for compensatory damages.”

https://www.abqjournal.com/1137578/city-looks-into-other-options-for-art-buses.html

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

Given all the known issues with BYD's buses I guess it was only a matter of time before a more thorough article came out detailing the issues and BYD's business practices. 

LA Times: Stalls, stops and breakdowns: Problems plague push for electric buses

The article discusses many issues at length and it's a good read, here's some snippets from the article. When BYD's attitude towards the problems are basically summed up the way they are it's no surprise the issues keep popping up. On issues with BYD buses for LA Metro and other transit agencies:

"BYD Senior Vice President Macy Neshati said he initiated the recall because Metro had "an obvious reticence" toward the electric buses. He rejected claims in Metro records that BYD's buses were prone to poor quality and fell far short of the promised driving range. Instead, he said, Metro drove BYD's buses on hills that were too steep, and drivers made unnecessary road calls. "I said I want to buy the buses back," Neshati said. "You guys don't want to operate them."

"BYD  executives rebutted reports of poor performance and recurring mechanical problems, contending the company has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from transit districts. However, government emails and bus inspection records show that multiple agencies have confronted the company on quality and range issues. BYD executives blamed those issues on outside forces, including drivers braking too hard, a negative publicity campaign by labor activists pushing to unionize BYD employees and transit managers they say are insufficiently committed to switching to electric. They maintained that the company should be lauded for providing an important public service."

On BYD's lobbying and business practices:

"City records show two city departments sought to give BYD contracts without competitive bidding. In both cases when the projects hit snags, agency emails show, managers told the staff that the purchases were "political," and in one case to work around problems with the bus. The sanitation department was awaiting approval to buy an electric shuttle bus from BYD in May 2017 when The Times sought records on the purchase. The sale immediately stalled and has remained pending for nearly a year. City airport administrators last year sought to expedite a contract to BYD as the sole supplier of airfield buses, until a competitor forced public bidding. Last month the agency awarded a $23-million contract to BYD, declaring the company alone met city specifications."

"The mayor's office encouraged city departments to do business with BYD, suggesting that the airport and Metro consider a joint contract with BYD, and giving agency referrals and support to BYD sales staff. In one case, BYD included in a grant proposal it wrote for the city a commitment for Los Angeles to buy $10 million in electric garbage trucks. Agency emails show sanitation managers balked at the idea of agreeing to buy something they had not yet tested, but the promise was included anyway in the grant application the city filed with the regional air board."

On BYD losing the LA Metro contract for 60ft Electric buses:

"When the low scores on its 60-foot bus caused BYD to lose that $60 million sale to competitor New Flyer, BYD launched a lobbying blitz. Emails show BYD turned to Garcetti's office for support, obtaining private meetings and tapping personal ties to the mayor. Labor leaders aligned with BYD launched attacks on its nonunion competitors. And BYD's lobbyist focused on Metro director Ara Najarian, sending the former Glendale mayor scripted remarks urging that the contract be given to BYD, his emails show."

"In a recent interview, Najarian said he led a failed effort to give the company the contract despite its poor marks due to the jobs BYD promised in Lancaster, not because of the efforts of BYD's lobbyist, a longtime friend. Najarian said he believes BYD can overcome its production and performance problems, and that its economic engine is a valuable regional asset. It was a conviction he also expressed at a Metro board meeting in 2016, when he argued for a tempered response to the poor performance of BYD's buses."

The issues with Alberquerque's BYD buses have already been discussed in the media and this thread, however the LA Times article also touches on it and the paper got copies of the inspection records when the Alberquerque buses were delivered. http://documents.latimes.com/albuquerque-bus-problems/

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Local tour company threw down a shiny penny for a fleet of 10 BYD buses for this summer. 5 45ft Coaches and 5 23ft buses If i remember. The demo they had barely made a 2 hour drive to and from Squamish BC to their yard on a single charge. About 65 km one way so about 130 km round trip. I chatted with the marketing director about the buses. He seemed to shrug off the range problem with the demo and mentioned the big bosses were spec'ing them out and were to have a proper range for their touring use.  I've heard drivers liked the way it drove and such but I have my doubts about the maintenance end of things on the buses. Apparently replacing their batteries are "cheap" and there is "next to no moving parts" as the marketing guy put it to me. Will have to see if these ever arrive. That recent article mentioned above doesn't make the company sound promising that's for sure.

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Bus_Medic said:

You lose the reciprocating engine, sure. But all the axles, brakes, HVAC, doors, suspension and steering stay the same.

Plenty to keep a guy like me busy.

I'm sure you already know this but there is real savings on brake pads and labor due to regenerative braking via the traction motor.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Indeed I do.

Our 1996 Orion 5s would get  six or so months out of a brake reline, even with a transmission retarder. The hybrids last the year.

But I’m still not expecting my workload to decrease at all, only the tasks will change somewhat.

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 5/23/2018 at 2:29 PM, translink fan said:

Local tour company threw down a shiny penny for a fleet of 10 BYD buses for this summer. 5 45ft Coaches and 5 23ft buses If i remember. The demo they had barely made a 2 hour drive to and from Squamish BC to their yard on a single charge. About 65 km one way so about 130 km round trip. I chatted with the marketing director about the buses. He seemed to shrug off the range problem with the demo and mentioned the big bosses were spec'ing them out and were to have a proper range for their touring use.  I've heard drivers liked the way it drove and such but I have my doubts about the maintenance end of things on the buses. Apparently replacing their batteries are "cheap" and there is "next to no moving parts" as the marketing guy put it to me. Will have to see if these ever arrive. That recent article mentioned above doesn't make the company sound promising that's for sure.

Hey Translink loved them so much that they bought the competition LOL.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Update on the rapid transit program in Albuquerque, stuck with lemon BYD artics

http://www.krqe.com/news/albuquerque-metro/mayor-details-art-project-progress/1209299111

"We ran a certain amount of buses for River of Lights. Contractually, whether we like it or not, the fact that those buses were used probably constitutes accepting them. So we're probably stuck with those buses," Mayor Keller said. 

The big issues with ART have been the electric buses. They're from the California company "Build Your Dreams" (BYD) and have not measured up to what the city needs in terms of battery life. 

So instead of ditching ART altogether or trying to stick it out with BYD, the city is going with this "divorce" option. 

The city will then put out a bid for another bus company to fill in the missing buses, which have to be very specific to the ART platforms. "

 

  • Sad 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...
On ‎8‎/‎9‎/‎2018 at 7:02 PM, A. Wong said:

What a breakthrough. Hasn't the Quebec government forced its transit operators to buy local (i.e. Nova)? Or perhaps just trying to evaluate different possibilities?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 hours ago, Transit geek said:

What a breakthrough. Hasn't the Quebec government forced its transit operators to buy local (i.e. Nova)? Or perhaps just trying to evaluate different possibilities?

The article says they are purchasing 30-foot buses (RTL-5 buses STM-4 buses). 

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Albuquerque mayor is losing patience with BYD, says the new buses have faulty brakes, among other concerns:

https://www.abqjournal.com/1240432/mayor-puts-art-bus-project-on-hold.html

ABQ Ride mechanics discovered in October that the center and rear brakes had zero air pressure, yet the bus was able to move.

“This should never happen,” Toon said. “It means that the center and rear axle brakes were not working – the buses were relying on their front brakes alone.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Albuquerque gives up on BYD

The mayor says: "We have officially provided notice with this letter that we are rejecting all of the buses. We are sending them all back and we are likely going to seek damages from BYD."

Source: https://www.krqe.com/news/albuquerque-metro/art-project-delayed-again-after-city-rejects-byd-buses/1594969890

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...