(BRK.A), (BRK.B)
Berkshire Hathaway-backed BYD (Build Your Dreams) has won a large order to deliver another 406 pure electric buses to the Colombian capital of Bogota. The order is just weeks after the delivery of the 470 pure electric buses to the city.
BYD will co-work with Superpolo, a Colombian bus manufacturer, on the body part of the buses for such order.
The buses were tendered by the Bogota City Public Transport Authority (TRANSMILENIO S.A.). A joint venture between Colombian business group Fanalca and international public transport operator Transdev used BYD’s integrated E-bus solutions to bid and successfully won the tender.
The buses are expected to be deployed along 15 routes in Bogota’s Fontibon district in 2021 and thereafter 150,000 residents along the routes will be able to enjoy pure electric and zero-emission transportation services.
“BYD is honored to receive another large order. There are currently 483 electric buses in TRANSMILENIO S.A, and when all 406 buses are in operation next year, Bogota will have 889 pure electric buses, of which 876 will be from BYD – accounting for more than 98.5%,” said Lara Zhang, Regional Director of BYD Latin America.
BYD first entered the Colombian market in 2012 and made several milestone achievements: building the first pure electric taxi fleet in South America in 2013, entering the Bogota BRT system in 2017. It also delivered 64 electric buses to Medellin in 2018.
Throughout Latin America, BYD’s new energy vehicle footprint has spread to major markets including Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil, Barbados, Panama, Costa Rica, Uruguay and Argentina.
Globally, BYD’s green transport offerings have spread to over 300 cities, operating in more than 50 countries and regions.
BYD and Berkshire Hathaway
In 2008, Berkshire Hathaway bet on BYD’s potential, purchasing 225 million shares. It’s an investment that has paid off handsomely. Berkshire’s original investment of $230 million has grown in value over twenty-fold.
© 2020 David Mazor
Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway and BYD, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell a stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.