BYD and Long Beach Transit have received the Long Beach - Qingdao Sister City Association’s (LBQA) inaugural Green Partners CleanTech Award for their contribution to improving the environment in Long Beach through LBT's zero-emission battery-electric bus program.
“BYD is very proud to accept this award – but we’re even more proud to have our buses on the streets of Long Beach,” said Stella Li, president of BYD America. “Bringing jobs to Southern California while making the air cleaner is one of the ultimate win-win situations, and I thank LBQA for this new tradition of honoring partnerships that protect the environment and grow the economy.”
“Long Beach Transit is proud to provide innovative public transportation with our new battery electric bus program,” said Kenneth McDonald, president and CEO of Long Beach Transit. “The buses will benefit our customers and all the communities we serve by reducing LBT’s daily carbon emissions by thousands of pounds of carbon dioxide, and by lessening noise pollution. We thank BYD for our partnership and LBQA for this recognition.”
In April 2015, LBT's Board of Directors selected BYD as its vendor to bring electric buses to the City of Long Beach and the twelve other cities the transit agency serves. The program includes 10 battery electric buses (and the option to buy 14 more) as well as a wireless charging system for opportunity charging en route. LBT officials expect to have their battery electric buses in service by the end of next month and intend to have the Passport route, a loop running from Downtown Long Beach to waterfront attractions such as the Aquarium of the Pacific and The Queen Mary, 100 percent battery operated.
“This pro-business, pro-environment deal is of great benefit to Long Beach residents, and we’re proud to honor both parties,” added David Griffith, chairman of the Long Beach-Qingdao Association. “We would like to thank the many individuals from both companies that have worked long hours over the past several years to assist Long Beach to become one of the national leaders in zero emissions public transportation. We look forward to seeing what they do next, and to presenting the Green Partners CleanTech Award for years to come.”
