Wenatchee, Wash.’s Link Transit will take delivery of their first four battery electric transit buses from BYD Coach & Bus this summer.

“This is a historic moment for both Link Transit and the state of Washington,” said Richard DeRock executive director of Link Transit. “This decision supported by the Link Transit board of directors is yet another example of the forward-thinking attitude towards technology and transportation that contributes to making Chelan and Douglas Counties great. I could not be more proud.”

The BYD K9S is a 35-foot derivative of the BYD K9 40-foot bus, with more than 6,000 now running in revenue service in cities from Los Angeles, to London and Hong Kong.

“I am so incredibly excited to be working with Link Transit and Chelan and Douglas Counties. They are a first-class transit agency and have been leading the way on revolutionary technology for years now,” said BYD’s VP Macy Neshati about the company’s first Washington state order.

BYD’s Battery Electric bus employs many advanced technologies developed in-house by a staff of more than 15,000 R&D engineers and includes the BYD Iron-Phosphate battery which boasts the only 12-year-battery warranty in the industry. Combined with BYD’s proprietary in-wheel hub motors and regenerative braking system, the BYD battery electric bus offers the lowest lifecycle cost of ownership.

As of March 1, BYD bus fleets have completed greater than 100 million miles “in revenue service” and have been evaluated by more than 150 cities in 36 countries around the world. To date, BYD has built over 7,000 electric buses globally, making it by far the most popular electric transit vehicle on the planet, according to the company.