China automaker to open electric bus plant in CA

(AP) China automaker to open electric bus plant in CA
By JOHN ROGERS
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES
A Chinese company whose mantra is Build Your Dreams plans to build all-electric buses in California’s Mojave Desert.

Officials of BYD Automotive scheduled a news conference Wednesday in Lancaster to announce plans to open what they say will be the first Chinese-owned vehicle manufacturing plant in the United States.

BYD says the plant in the high-desert city will initially turn out 10 electric-powered buses for the city of Long Beach. The buses, with a range of 150 miles between charges, are expected to be up and running by next year.

In the future, officials say, the plant could employ hundreds of people.

BYD, which has 150,000 employees worldwide, opened a North American headquarters in Los Angeles in 2010. It currently employs about 40 people.