The U.S.-China Policy Foundation recently honored BYD Motors President Stella Li with its Business Leadership Award, celebrating her role in strengthening relations between the new energy technology company’s American and Chinese business units, following BYD’s expansion of its electric bus factory in Lancaster, California.
Business leaders, current members of Congress, scholars and senior diplomats, including Cui Tiankai, China’s ambassador to the United States, were among those who attended the award ceremony during a gala event celebrating the foundation 22nd anniversary.
“BYD’s job growth in the U.S. tells an important part of our story, but we could not have achieved such tremendous results on our own. Different types of government support including the federal TIGER and LONO programs, state grants and initiatives have played an important role and demonstrate the partnership that’s possible on both sides,” said Li.
BYD employs nearly 800 people in the U.S., a 20-fold increase since the company began operations in the country in 2013. The expansion of BYD’s Lancaster factory has quadrupled its manufacturing facility to nearly 450,000 square feet, and gives it the ability to manufacture 1,500 electric buses annually. When operating at maximum capacity, a further 400 jobs could be created.
Since BYD entered into U.S. market in 2013, the company has accumulatively invested more than $230 million. BYD is North America’s largest electric bus manufacturer, having delivered more than 150 electric buses to over 30 U.S. States, and more than 40 different customers, including Stanford University, UCLA, Long Beach Transit, LADOT and Antelope Valley Transit Authority.
Additionally, BYD is the only electric bus manufacturer in the U.S. with a workforce represented by a labor union, which means tremendous benefits to its employees when negotiating wages and working conditions. The company is committed to local economic development and will continue to provide well-paying jobs. BYD is striving to ensure that these jobs are not just jobs, but ladders of opportunity and advancement to provide its employees long and fulfilling careers.
In addition to electric buses, its electric trucks have been well received, making BYD a market leader in the U.S. To date, the company has demonstrated and delivered zero-emission trucks, from class 5 to class 8, to more than 20 customers across North America, including Goodwill, UPS, Daylight Transport, Port of Los Angeles, and GreenWaste.
