(Yicai Global) March 4 -- Chinese automaker BYD will supply five of its new generation pure electric eBuses to a unit of Deutsche Bahn in its first transaction with Germany’s largest bus operator, the China Economic Net reported today.

The 12-meter-long zero-emission vehicles will be part of the DB Regio fleet in Ettlingen, Baden-Württemberg, home to sports carmaker Porsche and auto parts giant Bosch, the report said, citing the agreement signed between the two parties yesterday. Once they arrive later this year, it will be the first time that the ‘bus of the future,’ which boasts enhanced air conditioning, safety and other features, is put to commercial use since it was unveiled at BusWorld Brussels in 2019.

The purchase order from renowned public transport operator Deutsche Bahn, which carried more than 500 million passengers in 2019 on its rail and bus services, has proved once again that BYD’s technology and products are well recognized by the German automotive market, said He Yipeng, general manager of BYD Europe. Through more in-depth co-operation with local governments and operators, there will soon be more BYD eBuses on the streets in Germany, he added.

BYD currently has orders for more than 800 electric buses in Europe, accounting for over 20 percent of the region’s market, according to company data. Last year, it supplied a fleet to Germany’s Ruhr region for use by public transport operator Bochum-Gelsenkirchener Strassenbahnen.

Editor: Kim Taylor