In a bid to advance electric mobility in Mexico, Chinese company Build Your Dreams (BYD) delivered the first order of all-electric semi-trucks to its Mexican partner on Wednesday.
BYD Mexico General Manager Zou Zhou said on the sidelines of the delivery in Mexico that the Chinese company wants to take advantage of technological innovation to provide a better life and build a greener community.
“BYD will continue to introduce the latest technological innovations to the Mexican market in the future,” the Chinese executive said in a speech at Expo Transportes 2022, which will be held Oct. 5-7 in the central Mexican city of Puebla.
“We hope to have more collaborations that will improve our planet,” the businessman said at the event, which was also attended by other Chinese brands such as Foton Motor Group and Shacman.
BYD’s Q3MA model, which was delivered to Mexico’s Transportes Marva, features advanced technology in its lithium ferro-phosphate batteries and offers a range of 240 kilometers on a single charge.
Transportes Marva expects to operate a fleet of 120 vehicles, which is considered a “milestone” for heavy-duty electric mobility in Mexico and will help release approximately 33,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere.
BYD Mexico’s general manager said the units being delivered to Marva would represent the largest fleet of electric trucks outside of China.
“With the development of China’s electric vehicle industry and technology, more and more Mexican consumers trust Chinese electric vehicle brands,” he said.
Miguel Angel Martinez, managing director of Grupo Marva, said the Mexican company chose BYD as its partner after a very “thorough and comprehensive” study because of its reputation for quality and presence in North and South America.
“We are convinced that this is the first step of many that we have to take together,” the businessman told Xinhua on the sidelines of the event.
“Electromobility is already present in the world, and I am convinced that more players will come, not only from Asia but also from other continents, and Mexico is ready to lead the way together,” he added.
Expo Transportes 2022 is considered one of the largest of its kind in the Americas, bringing together entrepreneurs, freight forwarders, and suppliers with an international presence.
According to organizers, Mexico’s auto transport and automotive sectors generate more than 6 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP).
The agreement with BYD complements the presence of Chinese companies such as Yutong and CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive, which are working with the government of Mexico City, the country’s capital, to modernize mass transit toward clean energy.