GLASGOW, Britain, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- A fleet of single-deck electric buses glided through the streets leading to the iconic armadillo-shaped auditorium in Glasgow. Their bright collage of the colors red, purple, and green added vibrancy to the Scottish city as dreary winter sets in.
Jointly built in Britain by BYD, China's leading new-energy vehicle manufacturer, and Britain's largest bus and coach manufacturer Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL), these e-buses have been shuttling delegates attending the ongoing United Nations climate conference here, known as COP26.
With their zero-emission service for the global event where countries are negotiating future actions to address climate change, these buses are examples that through cooperation, the world can make a positive difference and can be hopeful to turn the tide of climate change.
"We absolutely believe that collaboration should be borderless. It's about seven billion people that we want to save, and this is a very tall order. We should remove all the flags and work together," He Yipeng, general manager of BYD Europe, told Xinhua on the sidelines of COP26.
He said the e-buses were an instant hit as they're quiet, comfortable and equipped with USB charging and multiple entertainment systems.
The British government has recently pledged further investment to support the switch to cleaner vehicles. Paul Davies, ADL's president and managing director, told Xinhua that by working with BYD, his company has been able to bring world-leading technology to Britain and fast-track a zero emissions agenda for clean energy buses.
"Before BYD, the bus battery technology in the UK was very immature," Davies said. "China has been the starting point for new energy vehicles. We're very proud to partner with them here in Britain for electric buses."
The cooperation has been very successful, he added. The two companies have delivered 500 e-buses since 2016, and by the end of this year, the number will reach 1,000, which is "incredibly fast," he said.
"There are a lot of Chinese companies with the right know-how, with the right brain power and also the experience operating in China, and they can replicate that experience here in Europe," BYD's He said.
"I'm very optimistic about what humankind can do to provide for the future. The governments should be working together even more closely to make things happen," He said.
The BYD manager expressed hope that concrete actions will follow after this climate gathering ends.
"This is COP26. This is the 26th time we're having this kind of conference. I hope the outcome of COP26 will be action, real action on the ground," he said. Enditem
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