BYD announced that its pure electric bus has received the EU’s Whole Vehicle Type Approval, WVTA for short, allowing it to sell its electric buses in all EU member states without the need for individual national approval.
By obtaining this approval BYD has taken another significant step for its electric bus business. It will help ensure the successful implementation of BYD’s business plan for its electric buses in EU countries this year.
The WVTA is a compulsory certificate which has to be obtained before vehicles or components of the same type can be approved for sale within EU countries. The WVTA encompasses 25 tests (excluding components tests) and sets high standards for vehicle and safety performance. In order to achieve this standard a bus must conform to a host of stringent European directives.
BYD has been targeting sales in Europe of its pure electric bus, the first 12 metre fully electric bus on the market, and has gained orders in a number of countries including China, Netherlands, Finland, Denmark, Israel, Uruguay, Canada and the United States. A series of successful demonstrations in major European cities have also been completed or started. Venues have included: Amsterdam (Schipol airport), Budapest, Madrid, Barcelona, Brussels and Salzburg. In addition, BYD has recently announced that it is to set up a Joint Venture to manufacture electric buses in Bulgaria.
