ALTOONA, Pa. — A BYD C10MS became the first battery-electric double decker bus to pass rigorous durability road testing under the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) guidelines at the Model Bus Testing Program in Altoona, Pa.
The C10MS joins a full range of BYD zero-emission vehicles that have passed the Altoona test, which is considered the most significant durability challenge for transit and coach buses in the world.
“This is another proud achievement for BYD,” said BYD Senior Vice President for Operations Patrick Duan. “The BYD C10MS is not only a luxury double-decker coach, but it is also practical, as it serves the needs of commuters and tourists throughout the world. We appreciate our many U.S. customers who have already deployed this zero-emission coach in their operations and look forward to delivering many more of them.”
Established in 1989 by the Pennsylvania Transportation Institute with funding provided by the Federal Transit Administration, the Larson Transportation Institute’s Bus Research and Testing Center in Altoona Pennsylvania tests buses for safety, structural integrity, durability, performance, maintainability, noise, emissions, energy economy, and fuel economy. Based primarily in Altoona, the Center also has a facility located at the Larson Transportation Institute Test Track in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania.
BYD offers the widest range of battery-electric bus and coach models in the United States, ranging from 23-foot motor coaches on up the 60-foot K11M. In all, seven BYD models have completed Altoona durability testing.
When it comes to zero-emission transportation, BYD brings innovation and cutting-edge technologies to forward-thinking communities and private enterprises. The only pure electric vehicle manufacturer in the U.S. to have an all-union workforce and a pioneering Community Benefits Agreement, BYD’s Lancaster, Calif., workforce includes a growing number of second-chance employees, single parents, and veterans.
