BYD will help build South Africa's first fleet of electric buses, with deliveries of those vehicles set to begin in December.

BYD (HKG: 1211, OTCMKTS: BYDDY) has secured its first order for electric buses in South Africa, as the Chinese new energy vehicle (NEV) maker pushes ahead with its efforts to electrify public transportation in more countries.

BYD signed an order with 163-year-old South African bus operator Golden Arrow on July 23 to supply 120 electric buses in a push to electrify local public transportation, according to a press release yesterday.

The agreement marks a historic step for BYD toward building South Africa's first electric bus fleet, the NEV maker said in the release.

Since 2021, BYD and Golden Arrow have undergone a series of tests, including simulated peak passenger loads and tests on Cape Town's steepest inclines, to validate the robustness and reliability of these vehicles.

Successful trials confirmed the vehicles' performance, extended charge range and uncompromising safety standards, laying the groundwork for larger scale partnerships to follow, BYD said.

Optimized for South Africa's climatic conditions and transportation needs, these electric buses will join Golden Arrow's existing fleet of buses, according to BYD.

The 65-seat vehicles, which are 12.5 meters long, are equipped with BYD's lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, as well as six-in-one controllers designed to improve efficiency and reliability.

BYD expects to start delivering these electric buses to Golden Arrow in December this year and plans to complete delivery of all vehicles by the end of 2025.

“As a company with such a rich history, we are proud to be the first to bring electric buses to South Africa's public transport space. This partnership with BYD underscores our commitment to innovation and sustainability,” says Francois Meyer, CEO of Golden Arrow.

BYD has quickly become the world's largest NEV maker over the past few years, though its automotive business is dominated by passenger cars.

The company sold 1,612,983 NEVs in the first half of the year, up 28.46 percent year-on-year, according to data compiled by CnEVPost.

Its passenger NEVs sold 1,607,145 units in the first half of the year, up 28.76 percent. Commercial NEVs sold 5,838 units in the first half of the year, down 21.91 percent.

BYD proposed the electrification solution for city buses in 2010 and has delivered more than 80,000 electric buses globally.

To date, BYD's commercial vehicles are available on six continents, including metropolitan areas such as Amsterdam, London, Tokyo and Sao Paulo, according to the company.

Earlier this month, BYD announced that it won an order for 160 units of 12-meter electric buses, K9UD, from the Azerbaijani government's electric bus procurement program.

BYD secures order for 160 electric buses from Azerbaijan