Chinese battery maker BYD has commissioned its latest battery plant in Brazil to produce lithium iron phosphate battery modules to supply the country’s electric bus market.
The manufacturing plant, at the Manaus Industrial Zone (PIM) in the northern state of Amazonas, is primarily focused on installing the modules into electric bus chassis.
The R$15 million ($2.7 million) factory covers 5,000 square meters and has a production capacity of up to 18 thousand battery modules per year— it expects to deliver 1,000 battery modules this month alone.
The highly automated and robotic plant is producing 48 battery modules each day.
Tyler Li, country manager of BYD Brazil, said: “Our proposal is to popularise and facilitate the electrification of mobility and equipment in the country.”
The city of São José dos Campos, located in São Paulo state in the country’s south, will be the first to benefit from the plant. Overall, BYD will supply twelve, 22-meter articulated buses.
BYD opened its first plant in Brazil during 2015 to produce electric buses, as well as selling electric vehicles and forklifts in Campinas, also located in São Paulo state.
