In a concerted effort to limit its most polluting vehicles, the City of Paris has introduced a Low Emission Zone (LEZ) to restrict greenhouse gas emissions in the French capital. The LEZ will include the area’s first pure electric coach from BYD.
Manufactured at BYD France’s production facility in Beauvais in the Oise region, the pure-electric, zero-emission 13-metre coach has a 59-seat capacity and will be in service from December. The electric coach boasts an average single-charge range of 200km and can be recharged in a few hours. The vehicle will provide the same services as a diesel coach for school transport, extracurricular activities and occasional private hires, and will provide access to an ever-increasing number of cultural and sporting activities for the people of Drancy: young people, old people, sportsmen and women and associations.
The introduction of the electric coach forms part of Île-de-France’s plan to protect the environment and to promote the use of the cleanest vehicles. The aim is also to deliver a rapid impact on improving air quality and so limit the local population’s exposure to pollution. An official hand-over ceremony took place in Drancy in front of the château in the Ladoucette municipal park, attended by Aude Lagarde, Mayor of Drancy, Jean-Christophe Lagarde, Member of Parliament & Metropolitan Councillor, and a representative from BYD France.
Mme Lagarde, Mayor of Drancy, said: “The City of Drancy already has a significant number of clean cars – 95% electric. In order to continue our commitment to a more ecological transport infrastructure, and to continue to provide a transport service to the people of Drancy while respecting the environment, we wanted to invest in a high-performance electric coach. Our new BYD electric coach has sufficient autonomy for our needs and has accessibility for wheelchair users, too.”
She added: “I would like to thank our partners who helped to cover half of the cost of this investment, the Seine-Saint-Denis Prefecture in support of public investment with €100,000, but also La Métropole du Grand Paris, where Jean-Christophe Lagarde is based to represent the interests of our city, and which gave us a subsidy of €129,000.”
Jean-Christophe Lagarde said: “The Greater Paris Metropolis and the City of Drancy are working together to improve air quality and to make sure that our citizens are not exposed to pollution. The LEZ is the tool to promote the use of the least polluting vehicles. The Greater Paris Metropolis encourages and helps families to change their vehicles for less polluting modes of transport. Our cities must set an example.”
Isbrand Ho, Managing Director of BYD Europe added: “We are proud that our pure electric and zero-emission coach will be contributing to improving the quality of life for passengers – particularly the children – in Drancy and, more broadly, in Greater Paris. In the coming weeks, other municipalities in the Ile-de-France region will receive their first BYD electric coaches so that, along with the pioneering town of Drancy, they can continue to take their school and extra-curricular outings in the city of Paris.”
