BYD Lands $48 Million Metro Contract

The board of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority awarded a contract Thursday to BYD Motors Inc. to build 60 all-electric buses at its factory in Lancaster. The contract has a value of nearly $48 million. The authority, known as Metro, is expected to use the 40-foot buses on the Silver Line service between El Monte, downtown Los Angeles and San Pedro. BYD Motors is the U.S. subsidiary of Chinese electric vehicle and battery manufacturer BYD Co. Ltd. Its Lancaster facility opened in 2013 and now employs more than 600 workers. BYD American President Stella Li said the company was thrilled to produce the buses for Metro and to bring 59 new jobs to the Lancaster facility. “In addition to a quieter, zero-emissions ride along the Silver Line, these buses mean more manufacturing jobs in L.A. County,” Li said in a prepared statement. The buses for Metro have seats for 40 passengers and a range of about 160 miles per charge.