Alcoa Develops New All-Aluminum Design for New BYD Electric Bus
Alcoa (NYSE: ?AA) today announced it has developed a new all-aluminum
space frame and bus design for BYD that has reduced the weight of the
new BYD Electric Bus body by 40 percent, or nearly one ton, versus steel
options. The first two BYD Electric Bus prototypes were launched this
week in Changsha City, Hunan Province, China.
Alcoa today announced it has developed a new all-aluminum space frame and bus design for BYD that has reduced the weight of the new BYD Electric Bus body by 40 percent, or nearly one ton, versus steel options. The first two BYD Electric Bus prototypes were launched this week in Changsha City, Hunan Province, China. (Photo: Business Wire)
In addition to reducing the weight of the bus body, Alcoa solutions
including Alcoa forged wheels and Huck Spin ? fasteners reduced the
overall bus weight by 1.2 tons in total. The combined weight savings are
expected to help improve the overall range of the electric bus by at
least 10 percent. The new bus has a range of approximately 300
kilometers (188 miles) on a full charge.
BYD plans to produce thousands of the electric buses for the China and
Southeast Asia markets and will also export the buses globally. Alcoa
will be the exclusive supplier of the new bus design as well as sheet
product from its Bohai rolling mill in Qinhuangdao, Hebei. Alcoa will
also be the exclusive supplier of forged aluminum wheels and fasteners
to the project. Additional terms were not disclosed.
The new bus design builds on Alcoa′s leading capabilities in safe
transportation design, including automotive and ground transportation
space frame technologies for leading brands such as Ferrari and Audi,
among others.
'It is certainly impressive that we were able to drop more than 1.2 tons
from the weight of BYD′s new electric bus compared to steel,? said Jinya
Chen, President of Alcoa′s Asia-Pacific region. 'However, this design is
about more than just weight. The new design is durable, corrosion
resistant, infinitely recyclable and expected to increase the range by
at least 10 percent and withstand the rigors of everyday city driving.?
'We are pleased to have worked with a global expert in transportation
such as Alcoa as we began work on this new electric bus program,? said
Xie Shibin Vice President of BYD Auto Research Institute. 'Alcoa′s
design and materials combined with our expertise in the market make this
new bus the best in the industry in terms of emissions, range, safety
and performance.?
About BYD
BYD is ranked #1 at the top of Bloomberg′s and BusinessWeek's 2009 Tech
100 List and is the leading manufacturer of advanced,
environmentally-friendly battery technologies like BYD′s Iron Phosphate
battery. BYD′s solar panels and LED lighting systems have TUV/CE and UL
listings, and the company enjoys rapid growth in consumer electronics
space and automobile manufacturing under its BYD brand. With investments
from Warren Buffett (Berkshire Hathaway) and MidAmerican Energy
Holdings, today, BYD is the fastest-growing Chinese automotive and green
energy technology manufacturer. The Company trades on the Hong Kong
exchange.
About Alcoa
Alcoa is the world′s leading producer of primary and fabricated
aluminum, as well as the world′s largest miner of bauxite and refiner of
alumina. In addition to inventing the modern-day aluminum industry,
Alcoa innovation has been behind major milestones in the aerospace,
automotive, packaging, building and construction, commercial
transportation, consumer electronics and industrial markets over the
past 120 years. Among the solutions Alcoa markets are flat-rolled
products, hard alloy extrusions, and forgings, as well as Alcoa ? wheels,
fastening systems, precision and investment castings, and building
systems in addition to its expertise in other light metals such as
titanium and nickel-based super alloys. Sustainability is an integral
part of Alcoa′s operating practices and the product design and
engineering it provides to customers. Alcoa has been a member of the Dow
Jones Sustainability Index for ten consecutive years and approximately
75 percent of all of the aluminum ever produced since 1888 is still in
active use today. Alcoa employs approximately 59,000 people in 31
countries across the world. More information can be found at www.alcoa.com.
Photos/Multimedia ?Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50065537&lang=en
Alcoa
Investor Contact
Roy Harvey, 212-836-2674
or
Media
Contact
Kevin G. Lowery, 412-553-1424
Mobile 724-422-7844
