COMO Connect in the City of Columbia, Missouri is set to take delivery of its maiden breed of first of four battery electric transit buses from BYD Coach & Bus next month.
City Manager of Columbia Mike Matthes said: "This is a historic moment for both the city of Columbia and the state of Missouri.
"This decision by the City of Columbia and COMO Connect is yet another example of the forward-thinking attitude towards technology and transportation that contributes to making Columbia great. I could not be more proud."
While first bus will sport a full-size 40' transit bus to experiment such as #1 Black Core Connector, the next three will be delivered to start service from December 1, 2015.
They will be BYD's 30' Electric low floor transit bus for commuter shuttles.
City of Columbia multi-modal manager Drew Brooks said: "Our decision to go electric extends far beyond cleaner air and doing the right thing.
"These buses are incredibly quiet, and will drastically reduce noise pollution along the routes. Additionally, they will save Columbia hundreds of thousands of dollars in fuel and maintenance costs and enable us to begin other improvements to our system even sooner."
BYD's Battery Electric, along with BYD Iron-Phosphate battery, has been developed by over 15,000 R&D engineers. The vehicle is capable of driving for over 155 miles even in heavy city traffic on a single charge.
BYD vice-president Macy Neshati said: "We could not be more excited to be working with COMO Connect, and the city of Columbia.
"Cities like Columbia, with such a picturesque downtown and an involved community really appreciate the value of a well organized transit system. I am excited to see them join the leading edge of transit technology by purchasing these buses that will make their system cleaner and quieter for everybody."
