BYD delivers 100 of its K9UD electric transit buses to Uruguay

Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD has delivered 100 of its 12 meter K9UD electric transit buses to Uruguay’s largest electric public transport operator, Cutcsa.

On September 19, BYD delivered 100 of its fully electric K9UD city buses to Cutcsa, Uruguay’s largest electric public transit operator. This delivery marks yet another major sale for BYD as the company expands its presence in the Latin American transportation market. It also significantly advances the cause of green transportation in Uruguay.

BYD’s official press release didn’t go into detail on K9UD’s Uruguayan spec, so it’s probably safe to assume that it won’t deviate too far from the European version. In 12m spec, that bus has a 19.5 ton GVWR, seats 85 people, and gets up to 450 km (approx. 280 miles) of driving range from its 422 kWh lithium-ion phosphate battery.

Power for the big electric buses comes from a pair of 150 kW in-wheel electric motors, adding up to a total of about 400 hp. More than enough, in other words, to get the bus up to speed and keep traffic flowing.

Uruguay joins Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Ecuador as BYD customers, while the company continues to advance the region’s efforts to decarbonize public transport.

Electrek’s Take

Replacing diesels with electric vehicles in heavily populated areas has solid, observable, measurable benefits – not just in terms of cost, but in terms of reducing surface-level air pollution and improving overall quality of life. There’s absolutely no way to justify another alternative at this point, especially hydrogen.

SOURCE | IMAGES: BYD.