British and Chinese motor industry co-operation — best known for Shanghai Auto’s ownership of the Longbridge plant in Birmingham — will advance this week to include projects from red London buses to Aston Martin sports cars, but with a common thread: electric power.
Chinese car and battery maker BYD will show off the world’s first electric double-decker bus on Wednesday after signing a 10-year joint venture with Scottish manufacturer Alexander Dennis (ADL) to produce a zero-emissions fleet for the UK.
The two companies will together build 2,000, 12-metre single-decker electric buses in Falkirk for the British market over 10 years, in a deal generating £660m in total revenues.