BYD has entered the Finnish market for the first time after securing major orders with Nobina, one of Finland’s and Scandinavia’s largest public transport operators.
A total of 106 various BYD models will comprise 64 vehicles for Nobina services in Helsinki and 42 buses for its operation in Turku, together representing the largest ever order for eBuses in Finland.
The announcement also signals a triple landmark for Nobina, it becoming the first operator in Europe to order BYD’s latest 15m three-axle low-floor eBus model, which will form the 42 vehicles being delivered to Turku on Finland’s south-west coast in the summer of 2021. The new 15m model from BYD offers a 47+3 seating capacity and delivers a claimed single-charge range of 400km under SORT 2 test conditions.
After five years operating electric BYD buses elsewhere in Scandinavia, Nobina has racked-up over seven million ‘electric kilometres’, equal to reducing its CO2 emissions by approximately 7,500 tonnes. Deliveries of Nobina’s fleet order for its Helsinki operation will begin in 2021 and includes 20 12m low-floor models and 44 18m articulated buses.
BYD now has over 400 eBuses either delivered or on order with fleets in 20 towns and cities throughout Scandinavia.
“We at Nobina Finland are excited to commence BYD eBus operations in the Turku area next year,” said Petri Auno, CEO of Nobina Oy. “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 public transport operator to select our new 15m 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.”
