Microvast, provider of battery storage solutions for mobile and stationary applications, delivered more than 7,500 all-electric and hybrid-electric buses in 2016 for metro transit use worldwide — a new high for the company. The company also announced plans to expand operations in the U.S., where it expects to put its first e-buses on the road in 2017.
As of the end of 2016, more than 15,000 Microvast battery-powered buses were operating in public transport networks in China, as well as in five countries in Europe. Collectively, Microvast electric buses have traveled over one billion kilometers without failures or safety issues.
Microvast has been a vertically integrated developer and manufacturer of safe, long-life, fast-charging lithium-ion battery systems for more than 10 years. Its electric and hybrid bus business was launched in 2010, mainly focusing on Europe and China. Based on considerable experience with battery systems in those markets, the company is advancing its activities in the U.S. This includes a primary emphasis on the e-bus sector, while also pursuing opportunities in truck electrification, mining processes, grid-scale energy storage, and other markets.
In the U.S., Microvast sees a significant opportunity to electrify public transport like it has in other countries. To that end, the company established a U.S. headquarters near Houston that will expand to include additional engineering, service and production personnel. Nearby in Sugar Land, Texas, Microvast will open a new battery pack manufacturing facility, which will be in compliance with the FTA's Buy America program.
Microvast currently provides three lines of fast-charging lithium-ion battery solutions, with different chemistries and performance characteristics as required by the diverse markets for high-performance batteries. The batteries are also extremely safe, thanks to the company's patented Smart Thermal Liquid protection system.
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