SHENZHEN-BASED electric automaker BYD has won the bids to supply vehicles to the largest private bus operator in Vancouver, Canada, said the company Wednesday.

BYD Canada has been awarded for zero emission, battery-electric buses by WESTCOAST Sightseeing, the first tour company in Canada to order clean-energy buses as well as the first to commit to having 100-percent clean-energy vehicles by 2023.

WESTCOAST Sightseeing has agreed to work exclusively with BYD, the world’s largest manufacturer of electric vehicles, on converting their fleet of 90 buses and making efforts together with the city to develop charging infrastructure, thus contributing to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and helping the environment.

“We are proudly working towards a greener and more sustainable future,” said Rob Safrata, CEO of WESTCOAST Sightseeing, adding that choosing electric buses and boats is the first step toward achieving their goal in 2023.

Safrata also noted that they are conscious of the impact their day-to-day operations have on the environment.

According to BYD, the company’s battery-electric buses will make an immediate improvement to air quality and noise levels for the B.C. region, leading to a decrease of some 4,500 metric tons of carbon emissions per year based on the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) standards.

As the world leader in zero emission buses, BYD has delivered more than 25,000 electric buses worldwide.

With revenues of US$17 billion annually, BYD has invested more than US$250 million in North America and has sold or leased more than 600 buses to 14 U.S. states and across four provinces in Canada.

(Xinhua)