BYD Motors is currently building 200 electric trucks for deployment across the United States for Einride, a Swedish freight technology company.
BYD Motors is the U.S. subsidiary of Chinese electric vehicle and battery manufacturer BYD Co. Ltd. The company’s U.S. headquarters is in downtown Los Anglees and it has a Lancaster manufacturing facility that opened in 2013 and now employs more than 500.

The Einride deal for trucks represents the largest order of its kind outside of Asia, according to the company.
Patrick Duan, senior vice president of BYD North America in Los Angeles, called the order historic and said it will give customers an up-close look at Einride’s intelligent operating system and BYD’s zero-emission battery electric trucks. The trucks are called Class 8 8TT battery-electric day cabs.

“BYD Class 8 electric trucks showcase a strong combination of cutting-edge high tech and durability, providing customers with the performance they desire while setting a new gold standard for driver comfort and safety,” Duan said in a statement.

The first trucks were expected to be delivered in February and will continue to be shipped over the next 12 months, according to BYD.
Saga, Einride’s technology platform that provides apps that allow users to improve routing, charging, safety, fleet control and more, will power the fleet of BYD trucks.

Niklas Reinedahl, general manager, North America at Einride, said that it was imperative to have a partner that was able to collaborate on bringing the best in electric vehicles to market.

“This fleet of vehicles, which will be delivered at an industry-leading pace and volume, will allow us to efficiently provide electric, cost-competitive and emissions-free transportation to our customers,” Reinedahl said in a statement.

The 8TT can perform drayage, regional haul and distribution with 200 miles per charge.