First of all, Gary Winter, can you talk us through the different products and services BYD Europe B.V. provides?

Gary Winter, Country Manager – UK & Ireland of BYD

BYD Europe B.V. was established in Rotterdam, the Netherlands in 1998 and was the first overseas subsidiary of BYD. In September 2015, it moved to nearby Schiedam in order to provide space for the growing business. Its main focus is to provide European customers with BYD new energy vehicles, including pure electric buses, trucks, as well as forklifts, and rechargeable batteries, solar panels, energy storage systems, rail transit systems and other new energy products, as well as related after-sales services.

What sets your company apart as a supplier in your category?

We are unique in the market place in that we do not offer equipment powered by unclean and outdated technologies. We specialize in the green energy sector and in terms of MHE, we are the only company who truly manufactures the truck, battery and charger.

As the truck and charger are designed specifically to operate with BYD’s battery technology, this ensures a consistent optimum performance of the product.

BYD is the only automaker in the world that simultaneously masters the three core technologies of EVs-batteries, electric motors and electronic controls, and also charging facilities, which can provide customers with on-stop sales and aftersales services.

BYD is a pioneer in achieving a Zero Emission Energy Ecosystem and a green city solution provider with a multi-level transportation strategy from ground to overhead promoter.

What business sectors are your customers in? Which industry sectors are growing fastest for you?

Due to the low total Cost of Ownership of our trucks, we are gaining success in many sectors of the market including transport and logistics, manufacturing and distribution.

The food sector also appears very keen to embrace the technology due not only to low TCO, but also the clean operation and green credentials of the product.

Which of your core products and solutions are you presenting on your stand at IMHX? Are you launching anything new at the show?

We will be exhibiting BYD’s award-winning counterbalance trucks and the second generation of warehouse equipment, with a special attention to the full range of pallet trucks. All these trucks are powered by BYD Iron-Phosphate battery technology.

Why should busy professionals from the warehouse and logistics industry take time out to visit your stand at IMHX?

Most professionals in this sector will probably be aware of the technology we offer but are still deciding if the product is right for their operation.

With just a few minutes of their time, we believe we can state the case for rechargeable electric trucks and familiarize them with the costs savings available by embracing our unique technology.

What do you see as the main benefits to your company from being involved with IMHX?

As BYD’s business continues to grow, we are seeking to benefit from the strides we have taken so far and to increase the awareness of our brand in The UK and Ireland.

IMHX represents a great opportunity for us to achieve this goal and I am confident that we can use the event as a springboard for growth and further success for the years ahead.

The last IMHX was 2016. How has your business changed since then?

Our business has grown from being relatively small in 2016 to the current stage of a network with 8 dealers in UK. 2019 is the first year for BYD to participate in IMHX. In the meantime, BYD is constantly increasing its investment in personnel and facilities together with our electric bus business which services more and more customers in this key market.

Can you tell us about your major customer contract wins in the last three years? Do these represent new development areas for your company?

Across our dealership network we have been having great success on a weekly basis. However, there are some successes which stand out in the food industry, where customers have embraced the technology and are now reaping the rewards.

In first place, there is a fruit packing company in Kent which has completely changed their fleet from conventional to BYD trucks.

These changes included counterbalance, pallet trucks and, more recently, two reach trucks.

These are the first reach trucks delivered in Europe and are working successfully. Certainly, this example creates an opportunity for BYD to demonstrate its quality to other companies who might be considering BYD for their MHE going forward.

Secondly, we recently won a contract to deliver 15 powered pallet trucks which will replace a fleet of old lead acid powered trucks that were proving to be unreliable due to poor battery maintenance and failing cells.

A one week demo easily convinced the customer that BYD Iron-Phosphate powered alternative was the way to go and would eradicate such issues in the future.

Which other countries do you operate in besides the UK? Which overseas markets are most important for you?

We are now operating in most major countries in Western Europe and are planning further expansion into Scandinavia and Eastern Europe in the coming months.

These represent a huge opportunity for us particularly in Scandinavia where the same technology has been already adopted in the automotive sector.

It’s three years to the next IMHX. Where do you see your company going in that time?

BYD Forklift maintained a yearly growth of 100% over the last years and recorded a delivery of 12,000 trucks in 2018. It is due to the benefits that BYD’s technology bring to the customers that help achieve that growth. We will expand our product range even further to allow more customers to reduce their operation costs with BYD’s proved solution. More investment will be made in UK to strengthen BYD’s presence as well as the joint efforts with our eBus business.

CONTACT

BYD

07398 150963

gary.winter@byd.com

www.bydforklift.com

STAND NUMBER: 20E147

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