The issues related to the ART project seem to hover persistently on their own, coming and going, almost mysteriously, like the tantalizing, sometimes disappointing clouds of the summer monsoon.Sometimes they’re just out of view, there in the darkness, like so many of the rats following the Pied Piper of Hamlin—and yes, I imagine former Mayor Richard Berry dressed up like Jonathan Harris did in that teevee role, in Red and Green regalia no less, tooting his own horn alluringly—to their own bitter conclusion.So, in that sorta snarky but essentially honest spirit, here’s one—or a few, given all the potential corollaries—for citizens to consider as the project moves forward.BYD is huge corporation. Moreover, a huge Chinese corporation with roots that have spread to include a high-tech manufacturing plant right here in the US. Our buses are to come from there, from the BYD factory, in Lancaster in Califas.Please note that The Peoples Republic of China is our nation’s biggest trade partner. The amount of goods, services and just straight out feria traded between these two entities ($578.2 billion) is almost unfathomable from a personal perspective. The tariffs called for by the Trump administration will, so far affect about 10 percent of that figure.The company, in many respects, reflects the essence of globalism; last month The Associated Press reported that BYD is one of China’s biggest and most badass technology giants. They’re the largest manufacturer of electric cars on planet Earth, after all. BYD was founded almost 25 years ago as a firm that manufactured rechargeable cell phone batteries. One of their biggest markets is Latin America; they have recently expanded into the US market, in places like Albuquerque.The main BYD website features a film of a young Chinese astronaut orbiting our planet, watching as connections of light, which of course emanate in Peking and Shanghai, grow, intersect and cover the floating globe. The child-astronaut reaches his hands out in wonder as he sees what is happening. The text accompanying the animation reads, “BYD now scatters its seeds throughout every inch of the Earth.”Besides buses, BYD also manufactures a wide selection of automobiles for the Chinese market as well as the insanely cool looking, new energy, totally high tech BYD SkyRail, a monorail system designed for deployment in a variety of urban environments. It’s strongly implied, through language and imagery that the sleek futurism represented at the main BYD website belongs to China but will eventually spread everywhere.The US website for BYD is much simpler and incorporates imagery like proud dudes in well-used work shirts, clean factory and natural settings and of course all kinda buses for sale to US cities interested in committing to the same clean, fossil-fuel free future the Chinese see, except without the hammer and sickle, yo. Getting involved with BYD means committing to a lifelong commercial relationship with a global economic giant.In fact, City Council President Ken Sanchez told KRQE-TV back in January that the city could have gone with hybrid technology, but settled on BYD because, “The administration was looking for more cleaner and more energy-efficient buses.” How’s that for quick thinking? Good job, comrade.
Byd And The Future
3 min read
