China's electric automaker BYD witnesses dreams "being built" for China-U.S. cooperation

Chinese Ambassador to the United States Qin Gang visits BYD's manufacturing plant in Lancaster, Los Angeles County, the United States, March 1, 2022. (Xinhua)

In the past nine years, BYD has grown to become the largest battery electric bus manufacturer in North America, creating about 600 manufacturing jobs in Lancaster -- about 1,000 total U.S. jobs.

LOS ANGELES, March 2 (Xinhua) -- "We all have dreams. At BYD in Lancaster, you see how Chinese and Americans can help each other build our dreams, dreams for jobs, for a better future and for a greener world," Chinese Ambassador to the United States Qin Gang said on Tuesday.

Qin made the remarks during a visit to BYD's manufacturing plant in Lancaster, southern California, where he was joined by more than 300 cheerful American workers, who shared their personal stories and working experience for the Chinese leading new-energy vehicle manufacturer.

For Alfredo Lopez, a local worker and father of three, working at BYD makes it easier for him to have a better life.

Lopez and his wife have both been working at BYD's Lancaster plant for several years. He told Ambassador Qin that he has got many training opportunities since enrollment, and "feels great" to manufacture zero emission buses and tractors for major cities in the United States.

"We are making quality electric buses for the future," Lopez said, upbeat about the great potential in U.S.-China new energy cooperation.

Workers cheer as they pose for photos at the 300th BYD electric bus offline ceremony in Lancaster, Los Angeles County, the United States, April 3, 2019. (Xinhua/Li Ying)

New energy cooperation is an important part of U.S.-China cooperation, and the two countries should go hand-in-hand on climate goals, Lopez said.

Veteran worker Herbert Colato said Americans are a big beneficiary of BYD's comfortable, safe, and environmentally-friendly electric cars.

He said BYD has been committed to building an environmentally safe community, hoping that the company will create more jobs for locals, offer more training opportunities, and grow together with the city.

"BYD stands for Build Your Dreams. Being here seeing how employees are working and how green buses are being built, I can feel not only buses are being built, but also how dreams are being built," Qin told workers at the plant.

"Dreams are coming true," Qin noted.

When BYD opened its Lancaster manufacturing plant in 2013, it had a handful of employees working on 10 buses in a 106,000-square-foot (9,848-square-meter) building that once housed a motorhome manufacturing facility, according to the company.

Workers are seen at an electric bus factory of China's BYD in Lancaster, the United States, May 1, 2018. (Xinhua/Li Ying)

In the past nine years, BYD has grown to become the largest battery electric bus manufacturer in North America, creating about 600 manufacturing jobs in Lancaster -- about 1,000 total U.S. jobs, according to the company.

Since the delivery of its first U.S. battery electric bus in 2014, BYD has delivered all-electric buses to more than 60 customers in North America, and obtained orders for a total of about 1,000 units.

What happened when China and America were working together is "truly phenomenal," said Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris. "We share goals, focus on the welfare of the world. Things are so much amazing about China and America when we come together."

He said it is worth noting that BYD has brought cheaper buses for operation, but also Lancaster is the only city in America whose air quality got better last year.

"That is the impact of China and America," Parris said.

BYD is demonstrating what China and the United States can do together to build dreams for better lives and a better world, Ambassador Qin said.