Chinese battery vehicle manufacturer, BYD unveiled the new ‘E-Vali’ battery-powered delivery van at the IAA Transportation 2024 in Hanover, Germany as the company stepped up its expansion into the European commercial vehicle market.

ZF confirmed that under the new agreement it would further develop the latest version of the hybrid automated manual transmission system, TraXon 2 Hybrid, for heavy-duty trucks in China.

The plant is managed by the company’s local subsidiary, Yuchai Power System (Thailand) Company Ltd, based in Samut Prakan just outside Bangkok.

The agreement is designed to support Farizon Auto’s expansion in the methanol-hydrogen and electric-powered commercial vehicle segment.

The agreement, which was signed at the end of July, is aimed at expanding its business within China’s electric drive axle market.

The Xinghan G hydrogen fuel cell truck is Farizon’s latest addition to its growing range of new energy commercial vehicles, which also includes battery, methanol and hydrogen powered trucks.

The new Xuanwu battery features in the Farizon Xingxiang V7E light van, which has a driving range of 305 km on a single charge and is aimed at the local delivery sector offering seven cubic metres of cargo capacity and a payload of 1.3 tons.

BYD will deliver 120 e-buses to South African bus operator Golden Arrow, marking the first electric bus fleet in the country. The first batch of electric buses will be delivered to Cape Town in Q4 2024, with full delivery by the end of 2025.

This marked an important milestone in the electric pickup truck manufacturer’s global expansion, with the Thai subsidiary to serve as a hub for the company’s expansion into other markets in South-east Asia. Radar also launched its Riddara brand in Thailand.

The orders came from Stagecoach Group and FirstGroup which has placed the largest single order (169 units) for Yutong electric buses in the UK to date.

The facility is managed by the company’s local distributor, Dangote Sinotruk West Africa Ltd.

The factory is expected to come on stream in 2025 with an initial annual capacity of 500 electric buses. The Ministry of Transport of Azerbaijan has committed to purchasing 200 electric buses from BYD every year from 2025 to 2028.