Chinese company BYD Auto is already one of the world’s largest makers of electric busses and trucks. The company’s Lancaster, California, plant currently churns out about 300 40-foot electric busses a year. But an ambitious new expansion plan will more than triple the plant’s staff in an effort to build 1,000 of the electric vehicles each year.
The future’s looking bright for BYD, which stands for "Build Your Dreams." The electric-bus-maker is backed by Warren Buffett’s holding company Berkshire Hathaway and has seen a 384 percent profit boost in just the first half of this year.
The cost of BYD’s busses are known for being on-par with conventional diesel busses. Their models are currently on the streets in London, Paris, Bangalore, Hong Kong, and a number of other cities all over the globe.
"We are proud to produce efficient, reliable electric trucks and buses in California that help boost the local economy with well-paid manufacturing and engineering jobs," says Stella Li, president of BYD America.
Lancaster mayor Rex Parris confirms a "significant boost" to the local economy from BYD’s presence, and says the partnership will help the city achieve Zero Net Energy status faster.