BYD plans produce battery-electric buses at its first South American plant in the São Paulo region of Brazil starting in 2015. The factory will be built with an estimated $89.5 million budget and creating jobs for 450 people, according to the company.

The factory will manufacture and assemble long-range electric buses, as well as recyclable iron-phosphate battery packs. The factory will have a maximum production capacity of 1,000 electric buses and batteries during its first year, according to Tyler Li, BYD Brazil's general manager.

In addition to the 32,000 square meters and 20,000 square meters of manufacturing at the facility, BYD would like to open a research and development center for their Photovoltaic, Smart-Grid and LED Lighting businesses.

"BYD fits very well in our city's quest to attract investments," said Jonas Donizette, the mayor of Campinas. "It is a company that produces goods and technologies related to the use of renewable energies, and also operates in key segments for the future of cities with sustainable urban mobility plans."