The world's largest electric bus manufacturer has entered the Finnish bus and coach market for the first time after securing major orders with Nobina.
Image credit: Neal Chopra/unsplash
BYD announced on September 22 that it had signed an order for 106 purely electric buses with Nobina, the largest public transportation operator in the Nordic region, now entering the Finnish market. This is another major breakthrough in BYD's European expansion after entering Germany.
All vehicles are expected to be delivered in the summer of 2021, of which 64 will be used in Helsinki, the capital of Finland, and 42 will be delivered to Turku, a coastal city in southwestern Finland.
According to BYD, the company has sold over 400 electric buses in 20 cities in Scandinavia.
"We at Nobina Finland are excited to commence BYD eBus operations in the Turku area next year," said Petri Auno, MD of Nobina. "A large part of the bus fleet in the Turku region will shift to the benefits of eMobility and towards a more environmentally friendly future. Our route network is extensive, so a large number of passengers stand to benefit from the new vehicles."
BYD Europe Managing Director, Isbrand Ho, added, "We’re very pleased that our relationship with Nobina continues to go from strength to strength, and we’re especially pleased that Nobina is the first PTO to select our new 15-meter model."
"The Nordic region leads the rest of Europe in the adoption of electrification," he said, "providing evidence that electric mobility delivers tangible operational benefits for Public Transport Operators, alongside safe, quiet and comfortable local journeys for passengers. With our extensive experience in battery technology and energy management, we will continue to deliver total eMobility solutions for bus operators."