(CFP photo)

Huai’an City, Jiangsu Province has successfully realized localized mass production of new energy special vehicles for BYD, China's biggest electric vehicle maker.

T5 logistics vehicles came off the assembly line at BYD’s plant in Huai’an Industrial Park on July 6.

With a gross weight of 4.5 tons, the vehicle can be used in urban logistics, cold chain transport, sanitation and other fields.

Also launched is the standardized, universal-type T7 chassis inclusive for new energy special vehicle. It can be compatible with different tops and works well in sanitation operations such as urban cleaning and garbage van transportation with the advantages of zero emissions, pollution or noise.

BYD’s Huai’an project looks to produce 5,000 special vehicles in the first phase with an estimated annual output value of 1.8 billion yuan ($256.5 million). The second and third phases are expected to generate a combined annual output value of five billion yuan, making it an important domestic manufacturing base for BYD commercial vehicles.

BYD signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the local Huai’an government on August 2, 2017, with construction of BYD’s Intelligent Manufacturing Industrial Base started three months later. June 3, 2019 saw the signing of the new project to make 5,000 new energy cars, involving a total investment of one billion yuan.