BYD “does not rule anything out” for the UK after it unveiled a host of new products at Busworld, including what BYD Europe Managing Director Isbrand Ho describes as the manufacturer’s “ground breaking” Blade battery technology in a bus platform, and the new B12 model (pictured, above).
For bus use, the Blade batteries are chassis-mounted. BYD showed both an underframe and a built-up B12 with Blade technology, with Mr Ho adding that the chassis “is available to the world.” It is expected to come to the UK via BYD’s partnership with Alexander Dennis and he does not rule out bringing the B12 here in the future.
BYD Europe Vice President – Sales Javier Contijoch adds that the B12 returns energy consumption of 0.65kW/h per km under SORT2 conditions. It comes with 500kW/h of storage and will deliver a claimed range of 600km.
Such increased efficiency is down to multiple factors, Mr Contijoch says. A six-in-one controller is 99.5% efficient, while hairpin motors are lighter, quieter, oil-free and consume less energy than before.
The B12 also has an integrated thermal management system and its charging approach and layout can be configured to suit the customer. Via CCS2 plug-in, up to 200kW can be accepted, while pantograph-based opportunity replenishment can be delivered at up to 500kW “with no effect on battery life,” he continues.
Also shown by BYD in partnership with bodybuilder UNVI was a DD13 battery-electric double-deck coach. It is 13.7m long and through 484kW/h of battery capacity can deliver a claimed range of 350km. 77 passengers can be carried, and spaces for a wheelchair user and two bikes are possible.
Mr Ho says that with a growing product range, BYD aspires to be “the Intel Inside” of battery-electric buses. In the UK, its collaboration with Alexander Dennis continues strongly, and he suggests that the Falkirk business would get “first refusal” on the chassis used beneath the DD13, should it wish.
