Kansas City International Airport and North America’s largest electric bus manufacturer, today announced delivery of the airport’s four battery-electric 30 ft. coach buses – the first electric buses for airport passenger service in the U.S. The buses will serve as parking lot shuttles, bringing passengers to the airport terminals. These electric buses serve as another example of how Kansas City is leading the Midwest and the nation as a hotbed for deploying electric vehicles.
BYD customized the buses for Kansas City Airport to include luggage racks for passenger use. BYD built the four zero-emission, battery-electric buses at its Coach and Bus manufacturing facility in Lancaster, Calif. Kansas City Council approved the order of four 30 ft. battery-electric transit coaches for use at Kansas City Airport in November 2016.
“The Kansas City Aviation Department has long been at the forefront in implementing the latest in environmentally friendly programs and vehicles,” said Kansas City Director of Aviation Pat Klein. “In 1997, we deployed a fleet of the first compressed natural gas mass transit vehicles in regular use in Kansas City. We are one-upping that milestone by purchasing these electric buses to further lessen fleet emissions.”
“BYD is proud to work with Kansas City International Airport to provide these four buses with zero tailpipe emissions, giving airport passengers a cleaner and healthier ride,” said BYD Heavy Industries Senior Vice President Macy Neshati. “Kansas City International Airport will enjoy cost savings by operating the BYD battery-electric buses because they reduce fuel and maintenance costs by tens of thousands of dollars over the lifetime of the bus.”
BYD offers seven battery-electric coach and bus models and has deployed more than 137 battery-electric buses to customers across North America. In response to high demand for its advanced technology buses, BYD recently completed an expansion of its Coach and Bus manufacturing facility in the City of Lancaster, Calif. This expansion will allow the company to build up to 1,500 battery-electric buses annually once operating at full capacity.
The Kansas City Airport System is an Enterprise Fund Department of the City of Kansas City, Mo., and is supported wholly by airport user charges. No general fund tax revenues are used for the administration, promotion, operation, or maintenance of the airports in the system. Visit http://flykci.com for more information. Find us on https://twitter.com/KCIAirportTwitter and http://www.facebook.com/KCIAirport.
BYD is the world’s largest manufacturer of electric vehicles and is an industry pioneer and leader in electrified transportation, including: automobiles, buses, medium- and heavy-duty trucks, SkyRail, forklifts, energy storage, and solar power generation. BYD is the global leader in battery electric buses, with more than 27,000 buses in service around the world. With more than 220,000 employees and $15 billion in annual revenue, BYD drives innovation by reinvesting billions of dollars into battery R&D every year. For more information, visit http://www.byd.com/usa.
2022 Charlotte Douglas International Airport Report of Achievement
Giving back to the community is central to what Charlotte Douglas International Airport and its operator, the City of Charlotte Aviation Department, is about, and last year was no different.
Throughout 2022, while recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, we continued our efforts to have a positive impact on the Charlotte community. Of particular note, we spent the year sharing stories of how Connections Don't Just Happen at the Terminal - from creating homeownership and employment opportunities to supporting economic growth through small-business development and offering outreach programs to help residents understand the Airport better.
This whitepaper highlights the construction projects, initiatives, programs and events that validate Charlotte Douglas as a premier airport.
Download the whitepaper: 2022 Charlotte Douglas International Airport Report of Achievement.